


Forbidden

by just_another_outcast



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Creepy Murdoc (MacGyver TV 2016), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Forbidden Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Romance, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-07-14 20:23:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 40,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16047893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_another_outcast/pseuds/just_another_outcast
Summary: Princess Rileyna's life is turned upside down when she's betrothed to Prince Angus, a boy she's never met.  Things get even more interesting when she meets his charming valet, Wilt Bozer.  Meanwhile, Prince Angus must deal with his neglectful father, who plans on ruling his life without actually being a part of it.  All the while, Murdoc plans his revenge on King James for the death of his son. (royalty/medieval AU, Riley/Bozer)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my second ever multi-chapter fic, and my first complete AU. This is the royalty AU that no one asked for. I came up with the idea in the shower over the summer, and figured after writing such a dark fic, the next one should be a bit lighter, so here we are. For the sake of making things sound a bit more medieval, a few names had to be changed. Mac will only ever be called Angus, and Bozer is always going to be Wilt. Diane will be Diana only in formal settings, and Riley will be Rileyna in those same settings. I know this chapter is a little rough, but aren't most first chapters? Also, Riley's section is rather short, but I promise she's one of the leading characters in this. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!

Riley sighed as her handmaiden, Samantha, informed her that her parents were requesting her presence. It had to be important. It was rare that they wanted to speak to her privately. It wasn't that they didn't care about her, but just that they didn't have time to spend with her often. They were king and queen, and had other pressing matters to attend to. The princess should have been pleased to be able to get some rare one-on-one time with them, but she was busy teaching herself to crack the codes used between the spies of various kingdoms, and she didn't really want to stop. It was just so simple to her, breaking these codes and creating her own. Her parents would kill her if they knew. Princesses weren't supposed to do things like that. But Riley was okay with not being a typical princess.

She gathered her skirts together and followed Samantha out of her ornately decorated bedroom, and into the throne room. To call it one-on-one time with her parents wasn't exactly accurate, since there were always a plethora of palace guards around, but still, this was the closest she was going to get in most cases.

"Rileyna, my dear, we have very exciting news for you," her mother, Queen Diana, exclaimed. She stood from her place at her throne, and walked down the steps to embrace her daughter. She had always been closer to her mother than her father. Her father, King Elwood, was often prone to fits of violence, which were well hidden from the kingdom. All they knew was that he was strong, and enjoyed battle.

"What is it?" Riley asked. It was rare that her mother was this happy these days. She didn't smile nearly as often as she used to, which saddened Riley. Her mother had a radiant smile.

"We've been speaking with the House of MacGyver, and it has been decided that you will marry the only child of King James, Prince Angus," Elwood said, not rising from his throne.

Riley's heart dropped. This was something that she had been dreading ever since she came of age. She understood that arranged marriages were a necessity for royalty, but her own parents had proven to her that there was no love in them. Elwood and Diane had only gotten along in the very beginnings of their marriage, and now only tolerated each other. That was no marriage that Riley wanted for herself. She saw how much happier the servants were who married for love than any of the royalty she knew in arranged marriages. But, as the princess, it was her duty to her kingdom to marry who her parents chose.

"When?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. She wouldn't make eye contact with her parents.

"The wedding will be next month, but the prince will be arriving tomorrow. That will give the two of you some time to get to know each other before you're married," Diane said. "Rileyna, I know this isn't exactly what you want, but do not judge the boy before you even meet him. You may find that life with him could be everything you've dreamed of in a marriage."

"Excuse me," Riley said, slipping away from her parents and following Samantha back to her room.

"I'll be back before supper, Your Highness," she said, bowing to Riley before leaving the girl in her room.

She sighed in disappointment. This is not what she wanted, but she needed to make her kingdom proud. Hopefully, she could grow to love this Prince Angus. She only wished it wasn't so soon. A month was hardly enough time to fall in love. Still, it was better than marrying the boy the next day. Riley tried to look at the bright side of things. The House of MacGyver was known for being highly intelligent, and that was something that Riley prized in a man. A union between Prince Angus of the House of MacGyver and Riley of the House of Davis would be something that could join the kingdoms for centuries to come. It was a great political move between the two allies, she had to admit. But if only royal parents thought about their children, and not just their kingdoms.

Sometimes, Riley hated being a princess. She hated having to be proper all the time, constantly keeping up her manners and wearing dresses and never getting to do anything out in the woods. She relished her long walks through the courtyards with Samantha. The woman wasn't only her handmaiden, but her friend and part time bodyguard. Around the palace grounds, the king and queen didn't force Riley to have a bodyguard with her as long as Samantha was by her side. The woman had training from another kingdom, and was a formidable opponent. When Riley ever left the palace, she had to have a male bodyguard in order to keep up appearances, but she was grateful that her parents allowed her Samantha around the castle.

If only they would allow her to marry someone she loved too.

...

Angus ran around from tree to tree, trying to lose Jack. He'd never quite been able to do it yet, but he was sure that one day he would. He claimed it was good training for Jack, but really, it was just fun for Angus. Whenever he didn't have duties to take care of as the prince, his life was pretty boring. He was rarely let outside the castle walls, so every time he did manage to sneak out, he tried his best to lose Jack in order to be able to stay outside longer.

"Angus!" Jack called out. The man was his bodyguard, and he took his job very seriously. He was also the closest thing Angus had to a brother, and sometimes even a father. His own father was astonishingly distant. Everyone told him it was because James was the king and he had no queen to help him in his duties, so that was why completely ignored his son, but Angus knew there was more to it than that. His father had to be avoiding him, almost at all costs. Yes, the castle was large, but he never even ran into his father, and he wasn't allowed to dine with him. It was very, very rare for him to even see the man who was his father. He'd been raised much more by his grandfather, Duke Harry.

Angus bit his fist to control his laughter. Jack was right there, and he didn't even know Angus was behind the tree. It annoyed Jack to no end when Angus did this, but that was half the reason why he did it in the first place. Of course, it was nice to be able to sneak out of the palace to be alone for a while, but it was more fun to be with Jack anyway. Sometimes, he was able to convince Jack to disguise them both so they could be around the kingdom without anyone recognizing them. He rarely went for it, but every now and then, Angus would get lucky. That would usually happen around his birthday, or the anniversary of his mother's death, or other times when Jack wanted to do anything he could to keep Angus happy.

"Angus, your grandfather needs to talk to you. Stop messing around or I'll drag your royal butt back to the palace myself. This is serious," Jack said. Angus stilled himself. Jack didn't sound to be in a good mood like he had earlier. Was everything okay? "Gotcha!" Jack shouted. He had come around the tree and grabbed Angus' arm while the boy was lost in thought.

"Hahaha, very funny, Jack," he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now what's so important that you have to disturb my time studying these trees? They'll be changing color soon, and I want to figure out why" he asked. Angus had always felt that nature had so much to teach you, and he always wanted to learn. He truly treasured his time in the forest, and wanted to be able to spend more time out there. He would really love to teach Jack everything he knew about the woods, even though the man didn't actually care. His bodyguard only pretended to because it made Angus happy.

Jack sobered up immediately. "It's what I said. The duke needs to talk to you."

"Alright," Angus said, his smile falling. This did sound serious. "Is everything okay?"

"Just come on back," he said, waving Angus back towards the palace. He turned around and started walking. Angus quickly followed, letting Jack go back up the rope he had draped over the castle wall first. It was the smallest part of the wall, located in the back by the garden. It was Angus' escape route of choice. He let Jack help him climb back up, and directly followed him through the courtyards and hallways. Jack was walking a bit faster than normal, which only concerned Angus more. What was going on?

Jack knocked on the door to one of the many bedrooms in the palace. "Your Grace," he said. "I've brought the prince, like you requested," he called through the closed door. A servant opened the door a moment later, and bowed to Angus. Jack moved aside to let Angus through, but stopped him briefly the moment he set his foot through the door. "I'll wait right here," he said, his eyes full of sympathy. Jack didn't have to say that. Angus knew he was going to wait there. Why did he feel the need to remind him? Puzzled, Angus stepped through the door, and walked towards the bed. His grandfather was lying on the bed, and he didn't look like he had the day before. He looked sick.

"Grandfather, is everything okay?" he asked, taking hesitant steps towards the duke. Harry was pale, very pale, and made minimal effort to sit up.

"Yes, my boy, everything is fine." That clearly wasn't true, but Angus knew better than to interrupt. "Your father has something he needed me to tell you." For some reason, James still talked to Harry, he just ignored his own son. Angus tried not to be hurt, but it was hard. "Tomorrow, you'll be leaving for the House of Davis, and in a month's time, you'll be marrying Princess Rileyna. Now that you have come of age, it's time for you to take a bride."

Angus' eyes went wide. "What?" he said. No one had ever told him that since he came of age he would have to marry. He didn't even want to marry, not any time soon at least. His father was busy running the kingdom himself, so it wasn't as if he needed Angus to be married in order to rule any time soon. The House of Davis was important, but they were doing just fine by themselves, so they didn't truly need to marry for the political gain, though it technically would be good for the kingdom.

"Your father decided this long ago. He's been talking with King Elwood and Queen Diana, and he agreed to give you to the Princess Rileyna," his grandfather continued. "You will spend a month there with her, and you will be married there, then she will return here with you."

Angus barely heard the rest of what the duke said. All he heard was "your father decided this". Since when did his father decide things for him? Ever since his mother died, his father had been cold and distant on his best days, and violent on his worst. He had no right to make these kinds of decisions for Angus, king or not.

"And I suppose telling me himself would have just been too difficult for His Majesty," Angus replied, putting as much spite and hurt into the title for his father as he could.

"Angus," Harry sighed. "One day, when you are king-"

"-I'll understand? Is that what you were going to say? What if I don't want to be king? Because if being king means that I have to be like- like him, then I don't want it," Angus seethed. He didn't want anything to do with the crown if it meant that he had to be like his father.

"Angus, you are the prince, and it is your duty, your responsibility-" the duke broke off in a coughing fit, hacking into his elbow. It sounded like he couldn't even breathe.

"Grandfather?" Angus called out. The duke was still hacking. "Guards! Guards!" he cried. "Get the doctor, my grandfather is sick!" Angus took hold of one of his grandfather's hands, holding it tightly between his own. "The doctor is coming, you're gonna be fine."

Finally, the coughing fit ended, and the duke looked completely exhausted. "No, Angus, I won't be. I'm afraid this will likely be the last time you'll see me," he said.

"What?" Angus replied. "What are you talking about? What do you mean?"

"I'm sick, very sick, my boy. I won't make it much longer, I'm sorry to say." Harry wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry but you must move so I can check over the duke," the doctor said, brushing past Angus. He hadn't even noticed the man enter the room. "Guards, escort His Highness out, please," he said.

The guards flanking the room walked up to Angus, leaving no room for discussion. He may have been the prince, but he had very little power in the castle. They lead him out of the room, where Jack was waiting, just as he said he would be.

"Did you know?" Angus asked, tears forming in his eyes as he turned to look at his bodyguard. "Did you know he was dying? That they're forcing me to marry someone?"

"Not until today," Jack replied, putting a hand on Angus' shoulder. "I'm so sorry, kid." Jack took a quick glance around, as if checking to see if anybody was watching, then pulled Angus close to him. Angus gratefully took the embrace, holding onto the front of Jack's coat with white knuckles as Jack put his arms around him. They weren't supposed to be like this. Jack was supposed to be completely ready to lay down his life for Angus at any moment, of course, but he wasn't supposed to love him like a little brother. He was supposed to be distant, to be a cold figure of authority even, but not long after being assigned as his bodyguard, Jack had found that he couldn't. Angus had felt the same way. He wasn't supposed to care about his bodyguards, because they were expendable, replaceable. He wasn't supposed to think of them as his big brothers, yet he did. His last bodyguard, Alfred, had been similar to Jack, and Angus had been growing to truly love the man like family when he was killed protecting Angus from a bomb. It was precisely that reason why Angus wasn't supposed to get attached, and yet here he was, even more so with Jack than he had ever been with Alfred. He just couldn't help it.

As soon as the two heard movement, they pulled apart, but Angus would always be grateful for the physical comfort Jack provided. He had only ever received it from his mother, so when she died, he never got it. But Jack always gave him exactly what he needed. They couldn't let anyone find out, though, because if the king found out that Angus had grown attached to Jack, then he would have his bodyguard replaced, immediately. There was no way Angus was letting that happen.

A few members of the court walked down the hall, whispering to each other when they saw Angus. So it seemed the court knew about his unwanted betrothal as well.

"I'll be going with you," Jack said, reclaiming Angus' attention. "Wilt will be going as well. Despite the fact that he's your valet, I know you hate letting him take care of your clothes, so how about we go and help him pack for ya?" Jack asked, his southern dialect accent slipping in a little bit. He tried to sound as professional as he could when others were around, but when it was just him and Angus, he relaxed. Angus liked it. It was different, and it reassured him that the world was bigger than just the kingdom of his birth.

Angus sighed, then nodded. Jack swung his arm around the prince's shoulder, and began to lead him down the hall. As much as Angus hated the idea of marrying a woman he'd never even met before, he knew there was nothing he could do in the next eighteen hours to stop it from happening. He would have to leave, there was no getting around that. At least he would have Jack and Wilt with him. Maybe it could even be fun, with his two best friends by his side.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise it'll get more interesting soon, but there's some set up and worldbuilding that has to happen first. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!!

It was nearly a tearful goodbye when Angus was forced to leave his home for the neighboring kingdom where he would be married in a month’s time. It was clear that his grandfather was in fact very, very sick, and had been so for a while. Angus supposed that hiding illness was a family trait. Both his mother and father had done it well, and he was no stranger to it himself. He knew it was likely that he would never see his grandfather again. The man would likely die while Angus was away, and he would be lucky if he even got to attend the funeral. It was these thoughts more than anything else that haunted the boy’s mind as he sat in the carriage, riding away from the castle. It would be several hours before they arrived at the Davis House palace, and Angus was planning on remaining mostly silent the entire time. Jack and Wilt were making that very difficult.

“You can’t not speak the entire ride over,” Jack said, nudging Angus with his knee. “I know none of this is what you want, but you’ve gotta be able to find some fun in it, or you’re just gonna suffer.”

“Come on, Angus,” Wilt chimed in. “You said it yourself, a trip with your two best friends could be fun! What happened to that optimistic outlook you had last night?”

Angus couldn’t help but grin in fondness for his friends. It was a good thing it was only the three of them in the carriage, and that the coachman wouldn’t be able to hear them well. If someone caught Jack and Wilt speaking so casually with the prince, calling him by his first name and not with titles of respect, they could get in serious trouble. But Angus had asked Wilt time and time again to just call him by first name when it was just the two of them for about a year before the man finally did. Wilt had always wanted more in life than being a valet, but Angus had learned early on that life was unfair and you rarely got what you wanted - if it wasn’t that way, then his father would actually care about him and his mother would still be alive - but that didn’t mean you couldn’t try to make things better. Wilt had always been there for him, even before he started treating him like a friend instead of the prince, so Angus did everything he could to return the favor. He wanted Wilt to be happy as his valet, even though it was never what the man had wanted for his life. In time, Wilt was happy. He was the first friend Angus ever had, and he’d stuck by him through everything. Angus was glad Wilt was there with him, even if he didn’t want to be there at all.

And Jack, well, Jack was different. About sixty-four days after he’d been assigned as Angus’ new bodyguard - he was good with numbers and stuff like that - Angus had realized that he’d failed yet again at guarding his heart. Jack had found his way into it and became everything Angus had so desperately needed. The man was always crossing the line between best friend, big brother, and father. It confused Angus to no end how someone could do that, how someone could care about him that much. Aside from Wilt, no one ever had. But it was different from Wilt, because although Wilt was about two years older than him, he’d never been much of the big brother type, much less a father of course. He was just his best friend, and Angus wanted nothing more. But Jack, Jack had a way of always being exactly what Angus needed, exactly when he needed it.

The only issue was that no one could know how much Wilt and Jack meant to him. Jack would be reassigned, and Wilt likely would be too. Royalty was not supposed to be friends with “the help” in the House of MacGyver. Angus only hoped that things were different in the House of Davis, and he wouldn’t have to hide that his bodyguard and valet were his best friends. No one from his own kingdom would be there to rat him out, so as long as everyone in Castle Davis didn’t mind the way his father and the court did, everything would be fine.

“Come on, kid,” Jack continued. “Admit it. You’re happy to be away from the castle for a while. Usually you’re climbing up the walls to leave, so try to enjoy it while you can, even if the circumstances aren’t exactly what you wanted.”

“You’re right,” Angus sighed. Even if he was worried about his grandfather and didn’t want to marry, he should enjoy being away from the castle and how it stifled him.

“Of course we’re right!” Wilt exclaimed. “It’s not every day you get to leave the castle for a month to hang out with a princess. I wish I could marry a princess...” he trailed off, a whimsical smile on his face.

Angus grinned. “How about we switch places then? You marry the princess, and I get to study science in my spare time instead of foreign policy, sound good?” He and Wilt both laughed.

“Kids...” Jack muttered, doing his best to look annoyed. Angus saw right through it. He knew that Jack was glad he was smiling once again.

Angus made eye contact with Jack, and the man broke out into a grin, just like Angus knew he would. The three all started chuckling a bit, knowing that Wilt’s plans of marrying a princess and Angus being able to actually study the things he loved would never happen, but it was a nice dream.

The three spent the rest of the ride listening to Angus spout off all kinds of scientific nonsense he’d discovered about the trees they’d passed, and the rivers and clouds and all kinds of things that he’d discovered over the years. Angus knew they didn’t actually care, but he was all too happy to talk about it nonetheless. Besides, he was the prince after all, which technically gave him the authority on what they would talk about it. He liked to tease the others with that, but he was more than happy to let Jack revel in his stories of all the ladies he’d courted. Jack even told of one Lady Diane who he’d had a brief relationship with back when he was employed by the House of Davis. But that was a very long time ago, well before Angus was even born. He’d always wondered what happened to her.

Jack didn’t speak of this Diane as much as he did of the Lady Sarah, but still, Angus could tell that he cared about her greatly. He only hoped that it was mere coincidence that Jack’s old flame shared the same name as Queen Diana, who was to become Angus’ mother-in-law if everything went according to James’ plan.

His stomach rolled again at the prospect of marrying someone he'd never met. Of course, this was something he knew he'd have to do all his life, but that didn't make it any easier. He didn't want to get married at all, if he was being honest. He'd heard horror stories about arranged marriages, and although the idea of marrying someone he loved was appealing, it could never last. His own experience had proven that with Lady Nicolina. She was the daughter of one of the members of the court and three years his senior, but Angus had completely fallen in love with her. He'd thought that she'd loved him too, but she left without so much as a goodbye. As it turned out, she had only pretended to love him because he was the prince, and that worked well for her. She had never actually cared about him at all, at least, that's what people told him. It was hard for Angus to accept that, even if he knew deep down that they were right. It hurt too much to dwell upon, but the point was proven again with his own parents. His mother and father had actually loved each other dearly, a rare example of arranged marriages working out, but after his mother died, his father had completely changed. Angus would never want to subject his own family one day to what his own father had subjected him too. No, loving someone was too dangerous. People only ever got hurt.

Angus fell back into silence as the carriage continued along the road, bringing him towards what he'd always been dreading.

...

"Keep your chin up, he may be quite handsome," Samantha told her with a wry smile. The woman had been trying to point out all the positives in the situation Riley was not looking forward too. "He is a prince after all, and they're usually fine human specimens at your age."

"Sam!" Riley exclaimed in mock surprise at her handmaiden's remark. Samantha had always been keen to speaking off the cuff while she and Riley were alone together. This was nothing compared to some of the things she had said.

"Well I'm right. Besides, sadly you don't have much of a choice, so you may as well look at the positives and not dwell on the unfairness of it all," she replied, resting her hand on Riley's shoulder.

"It's what's best for the kingdom that matters, and if Prince Angus and the House of MacGyver are what is best for us, then it is my duty as princess to marry him and one day rule as queen by his side," Riley said. She knew this had been coming. Since her parents had no male heir, it was up to her to marry someone fit to be king, meaning a prince. That's the way it had been since anyone could remember, and that was likely the way it would remain for the rest of time, sexist or not. Riley knew that she could rule just as well as a king could, but that wasn't the way the world worked. The world didn't see women as being as capable as they could be, and she wanted to prove the world wrong. If only she knew how.

"Let me help you dress," Samantha said, abruptly changing the subject. "The prince is likely to be here soon." She stood up and made her way to Riley's expansive closet. The princess could just barely make out the hilt of her sword hidden in the folds of her dress. If she hadn't been looking for it, she wouldn't have seen it. Samantha soon returned with one of Riley's evening gowns, fitting for her first meeting with her betrothed. At least she got a month to get to know him before they were married. Her parents weren't that lucky. The first time they met was on their wedding day.

As soon as she was dressed in her gown and had fixed her hair - and put on her tiara, she didn't often wear it, but she was supposed to for the month she would spend with the prince - Riley let Samantha lead her back to the throne room. Her parents were waiting, in all their royal glory. The king stood tall with his magnificent scepter and crown placed perfectly on his head, with the queen taking his arm and standing just as regally, if not more so, with her own beautiful golden crown, a larger and more elaborate version of Riley's silver tiara. Riley had always thought her mother was much more a picture of elegance and royalty than her father, but maybe that was just because she was privy to her father's temper and rage, and the kingdom was not. Whatever the case, the couple was pointedly not looking at each other, and looked stiff as they walked arm in arm. They only did it for the people. As soon as they were alone, they would go back to their usual bare tolerance of each other.

The queen's chief handmaiden, Matilda, stood a few feet behind her. Matilda's story was interesting, but the small woman had proven herself again and again. She had been a childhood friend of the queen's, who in turn was a staunch supporter of her. It was only because of the queen's support and defense that Matilda was allowed a position in the palace at all, and wasn't living on the streets because of her height. She had become a close friend of Riley's as well, and Riley felt that she could tell Matilda things she couldn't necessarily tell her mother. Riley was lucky to have her.

"Are you ready, Your Highness?" Matilda asked her, a gentle smile on her face. She knew Riley's hesitations, and was trying to be as sympathetic as she could throughout the entire process.

"As I'll ever be," Riley muttered in response. She took a quick glance at Samantha, who nodded at her in reply. She would be behind her the whole time.

The king and queen started walking, with Riley a few feet behind them and to their left. Samantha and Matilda followed shortly after. The castle doors swung open, revealing the beautiful late summer day. Riley followed her parents onto the large porch that sat above several sets of stairs behind the castle gates. From their position, Riley could see a beautiful carriage coming down the path. That had to be the prince. The carriage didn't look quite spectacular enough to be from royalty, but that was probably the point. Since they were travelling with so few people - Riley had been informed that it would only be the prince, his valet, and his bodyguard coming - it would be best if they only looked like a semi-wealthy family and not the royals they were.

Riley took a deep breath as the carriage was welcomed through the gates. It was the moment she had known was coming her whole life. She was finally about to lay her eyes on the man she would be forced to marry and spend the rest of her life with. The carriage came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, and the coachman stepped down and opened the door.

Then out he stepped, the boy who Riley could only assume was Prince Angus. Samantha was right, he was quite handsome. He had to be about her own age, maybe a year or two younger, and was average height. As he got closer, Riley could see that his eyes were a brilliant blue, brought out more by the royal clothes he was wearing. He had shaggy blond hair, and atop his head sat a small silver crown with sapphires that brought out his eyes even more. So far, so good.

But behind him stood two others, a middle aged man that was built like a mountain, who had to be his bodyguard, and another man about Riley's own age, who was also quite attractive. That had to be the prince's valet. He was simpler, of course, but Riley couldn't help but stare into his deep brown eyes. They looked kind, and full of life. His skin was darker than her own, matching his eyes. Despite the fact that he was not clothed in the stuff of royalty like the prince, he was somehow just as attractive to her as the prince was, maybe even more so. Of course, the prince was regal and handsome, but his valet was cute. There was no other way to put it.

Riley forced her gaze back to the prince, but not before she saw his bodyguard staring wide eyed at her parents. Had he never met other royals before? Ignoring the man, she turned to the prince and gave her best smile.

"Welcome," her father greeted. The moment he did so, the prince and his staff bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty," the prince said. "Thank you for having us." His inclusion of "us" instead of the simple "me" was odd to Riley, since most visitors didn't really pay any mind to their staff, but maybe things were different where this prince was from.

"I am King Elwood, and this is my wife, Queen Diana," her father continued. The visitors bowed once more. Riley glanced up at her mother and noticed that she was staring at the prince's bodyguard as well. What was going on? "And may I present your fiancee, my daughter, Princess Rileyna."

Riley took a step forward as they bowed to her, and offered her hand, as the custom went. The prince knelt in his bow, and gently took her hand, kissing it.

"It is an honor to meet you," he said, the picture of a gentleman. As he rose, he continued, saying "I am Prince Angus, of the House of MacGyver, and this is my bodyguard, Jack Dalton-" he paused to stretch his hand out to the man, who nodded at her and placed his arm across his chest in lieu of another bow "-and my valet, Wilt Bozer." He did the same to his valet, but instead of a simple nod, the man took a deep bow, and took Riley's hand, kissing it like the prince did.

"Your Highness, your beauty is immeasurable," he said, just low enough that her parents would not be able to hear it.

Riley couldn't contain her giggle. "Thank you," she said, a wide smile on her face. She turned back to Prince Angus. "We would be honored if you would join us for supper," she said as she was told to.

"I would be delighted to, Your Highness," the prince replied. He smiled at her, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Riley could tell that he wasn't exactly pleased with their situation either. At least that was something she knew they already had in common.

"Matilda will lead you to your quarters, and will help your staff to get settled," she continued, taking another long look at the prince's valet, who had a gentle smile on his face that did in fact reach his eyes. If Riley was being honest, it made her heart flutter a bit. She turned around and presented Matilda to them. She wouldn't have very long to herself before dinner, and she wanted to savor that time with Samantha. She had a lot to talk to her about already.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but I wanted to get the next one out soon because I know I'm gonna get super busy. I'm pledging for a sorority now, which just made my schedule a whole bunch busier. I hope to still be able to get out two chapters per week at least, but I can't guarantee anything. I promise that this will be get more interesting soon lol. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!!

Wilt could not believe how lucky Angus had gotten. The princess was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and the prince got to marry her. Except there was one problem: now that the princess and her parents were out of sight, Angus didn't look nearly as excited as he should have been.

"You should be the happiest man in the world right now," he whispered to Angus. He didn't want Matilda to overhear him talking so casually with the prince. "Princess Rileyna is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life, and you get to marry her. You should be smiling ear to ear."

"These will be your quarters for the month," Matilda said, gesturing to the open door in the grand hallway. "There are adjoining quarters for your staff. I hope Your Highness will be happy here," she said with a polite smile.

Wilt followed Angus in, with Jack bringing up the rear. The room was just as grand as the rest of the palace, and very similar to the rooms back home. The adjoining servants’ quarters were less grand, but still better than anything someone could get outside a palace.

"A servant will be back to escort the prince to supper in half an hour's time. Staff eats with the rest of the staff later," she finished, moving to leave the room.

"They can't eat with us?" Angus asked, surprise on his face. Wilt held in a sigh. The boy was so used to eating with his friends due to his father's negligence that anything else was foreign to him. He should have grown up eating with the court, but they disliked him, so Angus would always choose to eat away from them whenever he was given the chance. Glancing at Jack, Wilt could tell he was probably thinking the same thing. Angus had a lot of learning to do.

"No, staff doesn't eat with royalty," Matilda said, slowly shaking her head with a confused look on her face. "I don't know how things work in the House of MacGyver, but here, staff eats an hour later than royalty and the court, in the smaller dining room. A servant will be by to escort you two later," she finished, glancing from Jack to Wilt. Matilda then smiled somewhat awkwardly before leaving the room.

"Everything is gonna be done by the book here, kid," Jack said once the door was closed. "You're gonna have to eat with the rest of the royals at every meal here. Your father may not care to eat with you, as well as our court, but things are different here. It's not my favorite thing either, but I'll be at the edge of the room. As your bodyguard, they cannot stop me from being in the same room as you at all times. You're forgetting that most royals don't have the relationship with their staff that you do. There's a reason that we don't let anyone know that we're all best friends."

Angus nodded slowly in acknowledgment, but didn't verbally reply.

"As I was saying," Wilt said, changing the topic. "Isn't the princess the most beautiful girl in all of the kingdoms?"

"Yes, she is quite beautiful," Angus replied, but he hardly looked like he meant it, not meeting Wilt's eyes.

"You should be bouncing off the walls in excitement! I've never seen someone as beautiful as her before. Why aren't you excited about this?" Wilt asked. He didn't get it. Arranged marriage or not, Angus had lucked out.

"Because I don't know her, Wilt," he replied, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "Yeah, she's gorgeous, but that doesn't change the fact that I don't know the girl, and I don't want to get married. There's more to people than just appearance," he finished in a mutter, letting himself fall down into one of the many plush chairs around the room. "What about you, Jack? You looked pretty starstruck at the queen. You do know she's married right?" he teased, looking a lot more like his normal self.

"Wow, kid, I didn't know that the queen was married, you're such a fountain of knowledge," Jack replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he gently whacked Angus on the shoulder. All three let out small laughs. "In truth, I'm just surprised, because I didn't know that she became queen after I left," he sighed. "I knew Diane was marrying someone else, but I had no idea it was the king. She wouldn't tell me." Jack sank down into the chair next to Angus with another sigh.

Wilt looked between his friends. This could be awkward. One didn't want to marry his beautiful betrothed, and the other had a history with her mother. Wilt wasn't sure what to say, other than the obvious: this was a terrible situation.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Angus muttered, looking over at his bodyguard. "I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't, kid, I didn't even know. It's probably for the best that I'll only be standing at the side of the room at dinner and not joining you. I don't want to have to talk to her. Things will only be weird, and I don't want that for you," Jack said. Wilt admired that. The man only ever wanted what was best for Angus, and it went beyond just being his bodyguard and Angus being the prince. Jack truly loved Angus with everything he had, and all he wanted was for the kid to be happy.

"Still, that's rough," Wilt added. "But, I have to admit, I'm kind of glad she married the king, because if she hadn't, then this world wouldn't have the beautiful Rileyna in it," he said, a whimsical glint in his eye.

Angus and Jack both chuckled. "Do you want me to tell her you said that?" Angus asked with a smile.

"I'll tell her myself if I can, your valet or not."

Angus only smiled, with a muttered "good luck".

Shortly after, there was a knock at the door, announcing that it was time for Angus to go to supper with the other royals. Jack went with him, of course, which left Wilt to his own devices. All he could think of was Princess Rileyna. She was just so extraordinary. Her eyes were beautiful caramel drops that sparkled like diamonds. Her curls were wild and free, and Wilt just knew they matched her spirit. Whenever he closed his eyes, she was all he could see.

Wilt imagined himself with her instead of Angus, despite how stupid he knew it was. He told himself it was human nature to think like that, which only made him think it more. Wilt pictured the princess in a beautiful white wedding gown, with himself as the groom. He shook his head and sighed. That was never actually going to happen, of course, and he would have to watch Angus marry the lovely girl instead. Still, it was quite a wonderful dream.

...

Supper was only slightly awkward. The start was odd, and Riley knew she would have to talk to her mother about the prince's bodyguard later. She kept glancing over at the man, who was standing near the door at the edge of the room. The man kept his eyes mostly focused on his charge, but also let them roam the room, as if he were constantly assessing it for things that might threaten the boy. There may have been plenty of other guards around the room that would protect the prince as well, but this Jack Dalton struck Riley as a man who did not take kindly to letting others do his job for him.

Earlier, Riley had gotten the chance to briefly talk to Samantha about both the prince and his valet. Of course, the older woman had thought it was silly that Riley talked about the valet more than the prince, but she had laughed along, and agreed that they were both attractive in different ways.

As the night went on, Riley got to know the prince a little better. He was brilliant, wildly brilliant. He was one of the smartest men Riley had ever met in her life. His intellect seemed to get the better of his social skills every now and then, but it wasn't anything that made things awkward, only amusing. Prince Angus would go off on some scientific tangent about something that someone had mentioned, and would only notice that no one else really cared after several moments. The boy would then trail off quietly, and look back down at his plate. It seemed as though he was trying desperately to hold himself from turning around and looking towards his bodyguard, which Riley thought was a little odd, but perhaps she would find out more about the man through the prince.

"So, Prince Angus, when you don't have any royal duties to attend to, what do you enjoy doing?" King Elwood asked once the current topic reached its end.

"Well, as you can probably tell, I find the world very interesting. There is so much it can teach us, if only we open our eyes and look for its lessons," Angus replied with a small smile.

"But aren't there scholars for that?" a member of the court interjected.

"Of course, but I enjoy it as well, in my spare time, as well as studying other languages and fencing," he continued. The prince didn't seem at all dismayed by the man's insinuation that what he enjoyed wasn't important for a prince. Riley could respect that. "And what about you, Your Highness?" he asked, turning the question towards her. Riley pondered for a moment, wondering how much she should reveal to her parents. She would love to tell Prince Angus all about the codes she could crack and create, but she didn't want her parents to know that. They would think it was unfit for a princess.

"I love the horses we have in the royal stables," she said instead, although that was true too. "They are such beautiful, gentle creatures, with great souls. I enjoy spending my time with them."

"Do you ride much?"

"When I can," she nodded. If she had been born a country girl and not a princess, she would ride far, far away as often as she could. As it was, she could only ride with a troop surrounding her to keep her safe. But such was the life of royalty.

"Perhaps we could ride together, sometime, if the king and queen allow it, of course," he quickly added at the end, glancing over at the royals as if he were expecting to be rebuked. What had this boy been through?

"Of course!" the queen exclaimed. "That is why you are here so far before the wedding. Of course you may engage in activities you both enjoy, supervised, obviously."

"I would think nothing less," Angus replied with a respectful smile.

The supper continued as such, with lighthearted conversation that Riley often found quite boring, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Still, it was nice to get to know the prince a little better, especially if they were expected to spend the rest of their lives together.

...

A dark figure slinked around through the shadows in the palace, plotting, planning, thinking. He was unseen by the guards, and he would remain unseen unless he decided he wanted to be noticed. He was just that good. He was Murdoc, and this was what he excelled at. The dark-haired man could even see the boy now. He'd expertly followed him to the castle, and hadn't let the boy's vigilant bodyguard spot him. There had been a few close calls - the man was truly incredible at protecting the boy, but even the most mighty could fall - but the man hadn't seen him yet.

The boy had the same blond hair as his father. Of course, his father's hair had long since gone gray, and it was much coarser than his son's, but still. The boy's hair looked delightfully soft, and Murdoc ached to run his fingers through it. His eyes sparkled like the most exquisite sapphires, and Murdoc wanted them for himself. He wanted the boy. It wasn't fair that someone like King James got to have his son and Murdoc didn't. His own son was long since gone, and one day, he would make King James feel that same pain. There wasn't much that caused Murdoc pain. There was only one thing, actually, and that had been the loss of his son. His son, Cassian, was the only thing that Murdoc had ever loved, and his death at the hands of King James' soldiers destroyed any love left in his heart. Now, all that existed was sin, and that was exactly how Murdoc loved it.

He didn't have a plan quite yet of how he would get the boy in his clutches, but he would soon enough, and James would pay. Because Murdoc wasn't just going to kill the man's son, no, that would be too easy. It was obvious enough that the man didn't care about his son nearly as much as Murdoc had cared about his own, but there was a way of fixing that. Any normal person, loving or not, would not be able to handle the thought of their child being tortured. So that was exactly what Murdoc was going to do. He was going to get the boy in his clutches, and then, he would make him scream.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this fic is pretty predictable, but I'm still enjoying writing it, so I don't really care that much. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!

Angus took a deep breath. He could do this. As a prince, he'd been learning since a young age, then Jack had given him much more advanced lessons, so it really shouldn't be that difficult. And yet it still was. Honestly, he should be a lot better at it than this. It was just riding a horse. Shaking his head, Angus put a foot on the stirrup and his hands on the saddle. He pulled himself up and hesitantly rested his hands on the reins. So far, so good. He hadn't yet fallen off, and the horse hadn't decided to buck him off. He could do this.

He had suggested it in the first place, so really, it was really his own fault anyway. It was something that Princess Rileyna enjoyed, so they would do it together. He needed to at least make an effort to get to know the girl. Besides, Jack would be behind him the whole time. A moment later, the princess walked into the stables, escorted by Samantha, who seemed to be her handmaiden, or her bodyguard, or something. Honestly, Angus wasn't really sure. The woman would be staying several paces behind the royals, with Jack. Rileyna expertly swung herself up onto her own horse as if she'd done it every day of her life.

"There's some beautiful meadows out behind the palace," the princess said. "They're a great place to ride." She gave him a gentle smile before clicking her tongue, urging her horse out of the stables. Wilt was right, she was truly beautiful. It was just a fact.

Angus carefully encouraged his own horse to walk, and was delightfully surprised to find it easygoing. Jack had always teased him relentlessly about his poor riding skills and luck with horses, since he was in fact a prince and should be much better. The man himself had grown up around the gentle beasts, riding them from a very young age. He had insisted that Angus learn how to ride a bit better, and he'd been semi-successful. Angus' skill at riding had improved by leaps and bounds, but he was still nervous and hesitant around horses, and didn't trust his improving ability.

Riding out of the stables, Angus noticed that the princess was not riding side-saddle, as ladies were supposed to. She was riding like a man. Angus didn't particularly mind, but it was strange. The princess seemed to have her own mind, which was a bit dangerous for a woman, but Angus admired that. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to spend his life with her.

Princess Rileyna began to lead her horse into a trot as they continued away from the palace and out the back gates, where Angus hesitantly followed. He almost believed that he was going to be thrown off, but it hadn't happened yet. But the princess had been right. It was beautiful out there. Angus could hear Jack and Samantha behind them, engaging in quiet conversation themselves. He figured he should probably actually talk to the princess himself.

“So...” he started, unsure of what to say. “You like horses?” Angus mentally slapped himself. Of course she likes horses. She had said so herself the day before. If she hadn’t, they wouldn’t have been there, riding horses, in that moment.

“Yeah, yeah I do,” she replied with a smile.

“Dumb question, I know,” he muttered. He wasn’t good at this. But he couldn't just ride in silence. He needed to think of something, quickly. "Uh, did you know that horses produce approximately ten gallons of saliva every day?" Angus closed his eyes and looked away. That was probably not the best conversation starter.

"What?" Rileyna chuckled. "How do you know?" she asked as the two slowed their trot.

"I read a lot," Angus replied. "I'm sorry, Princess Rileyna, I'm not very good at this, at talking to people," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. It was just better that the princess know that as soon as possible.

"Please, call me Riley. Since we're going to be spending a lot of time together, I'd rather just be called Riley when it's just us," she said with a gentle smile. Angus looked back at her and matched her smile. "And that's okay," she continued. "I'd rather spend most of my time cracking old codes the soldiers used to use and create my own. It may not be very princess-like, but I love it," she said with a shrug of her own.

"That's actually rather fascinating to me. It's better that you do what you love, rather than what is expected of you. If you only ever do what is expected, then you'll never truly live."

"You're right," Riley softly replied. "I assume you don't always do what others expect of you?"

Angus grinned. "Yeah, you could say that. It's gotten me into a fair bit of trouble over the years, but it's usually worth it." The courts distaste for his "antics" often did get him in trouble, but it was never anything like what his father used to do, when his father actually paid attention to him. No, it was better to be completely ignored than hurt for every little thing. Angus had to repress a shudder at the memory of what the man used to do to him. Being ignored was better. It still hurt, but it was a different pain.

"I imagine it is," Riley said. "Life is best lived when you seek forgiveness instead of asking for permission." She gave Angus a devious grin that spoke a lot about her own life.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. He and the princess seemed very similar in many ways, so maybe it would be okay to marry her. Angus certainly didn't feel like he was falling in love, but if he was going to be forced to marry, at least it seemed like he would be marrying a friend.

...

Jack talked to Samantha plenty while the two followed their charges, but he barely looked at the woman. His attention was on Angus and their surroundings. He was in a constant state of awareness, looking for any danger or harm that might befall the prince. He imagined Samantha would be doing the same for the princess. She was an interesting woman. To most people, she was only a handmaiden, but evidently she was also a part time bodyguard. Jack could respect that.

He could tell that Angus was enjoying himself, despite having to ride a horse. The boy had never been a big fan of them when they were up close, but he was handling himself well enough. Jack could see him smiling at the princess, but it wasn't the same smile he used to give Nicolina. The prince was trying, but Jack could tell that he had no romantic feelings yet. He could only hope, for Angus' sake, that those feelings would develop.

"Your prince seems like a decent boy," Samantha said.

"He's the best," Jack replied, not even glancing at the woman. His attention remained focused.

"I hope he is. The princess does not want to be marrying someone she does not love, so I hope that your prince is someone she can grow to love over time."

"Angus feels the same. He does not wish to marry at all," Jack sighed. He wished that the prince wouldn't be forced to do this.

"At least they seem to be getting along."

Jack nodded. He just wanted Angus to be happy.

About an hour later, they were heading back to the stables. Jack noticed that the princess switched from riding the way she had been to riding side saddle once they got closer to the castle. He smiled. The girl had spunk.

"So what do you think about her?" he asked Angus once they were on their way back to their quarters. They had a little while to spend together before the afternoon meal.

"She's nice," Angus replied. "I like her, I guess."

"You guess?" Jack repeated with an incredulous look on his face.

"Well it's not like I'm falling in love or anything," Angus said, exasperation clear in both his expression and tone. "Riley's great, but she's just not..." he trailed off, sighing.

"She's not the one?" Jack asked, hazarding a guess.

"Yeah," Angus muttered.

Jack sighed. Sadly, it didn't matter how the prince felt about the princess. They would be forced to marry anyway. That's just how it worked. He wished to God it wasn't, that they could change things so Angus could be happy, truly happy. But that would never happen.

"At least Wilt likes her, right?" Angus continued, a fake smile on his face as he tried to be optimistic. Jack could see right through it. He was frustrated at the situation, and rightfully so. It just wasn't fair, but then again, the kid's life rarely was. And that was just about to be proved even more.

Upon arriving in their quarters, Jack immediately noticed the presence of another man. The man was talking in hushed tones to Wilt, who looked crestfallen.

"Can I help you?" Jack asked, immediately putting an arm out in front of Angus to provide just a little bit of protection. It was ingrained in his very being to protect that kid in any way he could, no matter how small. But he wouldn't be able to protect him from the news he was about to receive.

"Prince Angus," the man said, turning around. Jack recognized him as the chief messenger of the House of MacGyver. "I have news from your father," he said. He didn't sound happy. "It's your grandfather." Jack turned to Angus, and saw his face go from confused to pale and shocked in a single second. "I'm afraid he passed away last night. I am truly sorry, Your Highness, but you will not be permitted to return for the memorial. The king wants you to stay here, as planned. I'm sorry."

Angus nodded, and the man left. Jack put his arms around the boy as soon as the man was out the door. The prince gripped the front of Jack's tunic like a lifeline as he took in a shuddering breath.

"I'm so sorry, kid. I know you were very close. I'm so, so sorry." He rubbed Angus' back with one hand, and carded his fingers through his blond hair with the other.

"I don't even get to be there when they-" he broke off as a sob threatened to overtake him, but he was able to push it back down. "When they bury him."

"I know, kiddo. And I'm so sorry. I would do anything to change that for you, bud." Jack continued to hold Angus as long as the kid needed him too. He stood there as the boy tried not to cry, but failed. He had lost the man who had raised him, so Jack would give him as long as he needed.

A moment later, Wilt reappeared - Jack had barely even noticed that he'd been there in the first place - carrying a glass of water.

"Angus, I'm so sorry," Wilt said. He sounded nearly as heartbroken as the prince. Wilt was an emotional man, and he always truly felt for his friends when something like this happened. It helped him to relate to them, even though it could be emotionally exhausting for him. Wilt set the water on the small table near them, and moved to rub Angus' back. The prince turned from Jack and latched himself onto Wilt, surprising the man. But he quickly recovered, and held the blond as he quietly cried into his shoulder. Wilt made eye contact with Jack as he held the kid, gently rubbing his back the way that Jack had been doing. Jack gave him a sad smile and nod, letting him know that he was doing just fine. The man wasn't quite as adept at comfort as Jack was, but he tried his damn hardest when it came to Angus, and Jack wanted him to know that he was proud of him. Wilt was really the only other one who really, truly cared about Angus as a person, not just as the prince, and Jack was lucky to have him by his side.

"You want some water?" Wilt asked the moment that Angus pulled away. The blond turned away from them and ran his hands through his hair, but nodded. Jack reached over and picked up the glass, and held it out to the prince, who took it with a mumbled "thank you".

"I'm so sorry," Jack repeated. It was all he could really say. How can someone truly be comforted when they've lost someone they love? Words fixed nothing.

"It's okay," Angus muttered as he sat down in one of the ornately decorated chairs. "I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later." He stared down into the glass of water, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"But knowin' it's gonna happen doesn't make it any easier," Jack said, resting a hand on the prince's shoulder. Life always had to mess with the kid. He deserved so much better. Jack sighed. If only he could give him that.

...

Murdoc smiled at what he saw. The beautiful prince was clutching his bodyguard close as soon as the messenger left. That was strictly prohibited, but Murdoc knew he could use that to his advantage. If this was where the boy was vulnerable, then it was the best place for Murdoc to strike, and he knew exactly what to do. The hard part would be getting in to speak with King James, and then maintaining his cool when he finally did. He knew the king wouldn't know him, but he could manage this. To get his revenge, he could manage anything.

He let out a faint chuckle from his place far away from the prince, looking in through the window. Within a month's time, the prince would be broken in every way, and the king would be dead. Oh, this was going to be fun.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise it gets more interesting in the next chapter. Still, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!!

Matilda informed Riley of what had happened to the prince's grandfather as soon as she found out herself. Of course, Riley had never met Duke Harry, but she was still heartbroken for the boy. The prince was such a vibrant and loving person, and Riley didn't want him to have to grieve. She may have only known him for a short while, but he was so solidly good. Heartbreak should not be allowed to touch someone that good. Yes, the boy was a little socially awkward at first, but that was only because he was trying so hard to get people to like him. He didn't seem to have many friends back in his own kingdom.

Still, Prince Angus came to the afternoon meal right when he said he would, with his bodyguard right next to him. That was impressive. Riley wouldn't have been offended if he had opted to remain alone to grieve. Matilda had informed her that the prince would not be leaving for the funeral, by order of his father, King James. That alone broke Riley's heart. She couldn't even imagine not being able to attend the funeral of one of her loved ones. It wasn't fair. But, from the rumours she'd heard and the little that Angus had told her, King James wasn't a fair father. He was too focused on his kingdom to care much about his own son.

"Angus, I'm so sorry," she said the moment Angus left his bodyguard to walk to the elegant table. It would only be the two of them dining together for the afternoon meal, for which Riley was grateful. She didn't want her parents or the court to see Angus' grief. It was bad enough that she was seeing it. Grief was a personal thing, and Riley didn't want the prince to feel at all uncomfortable by sharing it with her. Riley took a step closer to the prince, and quickly reached out to give him a light embrace. She knew it was the right thing to do, but she didn't want to seem too quick to embrace after only having known him for a day. Angus accepted the embrace after a short moment, his hands coming to gently rest on her upper back. They held each other gently, and Riley could feel Angus relaxing into her touch.

After another moment, Angus pulled away. "Thank you," he said, giving her a weak, sad smile. "He's the man who raised me, so it will be quite an adjustment, not to have him around." He looked away, quickly glancing back at Jack, who stood in the same place he did at every meal, at a perfect vantage point to see throughout the room without having to move. Riley appreciated that the prince had someone that looked out for him as much as his bodyguard did. She imagined they probably had a similar relationship to herself and Samantha, perhaps even a closer one.

Riley wasn't sure what to say, for what could you say to someone who grieved? Empty platitudes could only go so far, and Riley did feel that Angus was her friend. She wanted to provide him with true comfort, but she didn't know him well enough to know how. Humor was always a good place to start.

"Did he teach you how to talk to women? Because I would've had a few suggestions for him if he did," she said with a smile, taking a sip from her glass of water. It had its desired impact. Angus let out a small chuckle and gave a real smile.

"No, I just kind of make it up as I go along, I guess," he said. "I make most things up as I go along, actually," he added, almost as an afterthought. "I would love to hear about the codes you write, if you don't mind me asking about them."

Riley was taken off guard by the abrupt change in topic, but she was more than happy to talk about something she loved so dearly, even if she thought the one listening wouldn't understand what she said. Still, she went on about the codes she had been developing, speaking in more hushed tones while the servants went about delivering the food to the table, but Angus seemed genuinely interested, even if it was clear that she lost him every now and then. That was new. Even Samantha and Matilda couldn't be bothered to listen to her talk about codes. But Angus cared. Despite this, Riley couldn't help but wonder if Wilt, his valet, would care. It was silly. She was betrothed to this wonderful, handsome prince, and yet she thought about another. Why did she keep thinking about a valet that she hadn't even had a real conversation with while there was this incredible boy sitting beside her that she had to marry? It didn't make sense to her.

Riley brought up this fact after the meal, when she was alone with Samantha and Matilda.

"I just don't get it. Angus is amazing, anyone would be lucky to marry him, so why am I only thinking about his valet?" she asked, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. None of it made sense.

"Because you're a young lady, and you've always had a type," Matilda said with a smile. The queen was busy doing whatever queen stuff she did - Riley wasn't entirely sure what she did, if she were being honest - so Matilda was allowed to spend her time with the princess. "Don't forget the various stable boys you used to swoon over. They always looked a bit like that valet does."

"Perhaps, but nothing can be done about it," Riley replied with a sigh, letting herself fall down into a chair. She rested her chin on her fist, a light pout on her face. She hated having emotions and feelings sometimes. She wished she could just wish them away and fall in love with Angus, but that didn't seem to be happening.

"The heart always wants what it cannot have," Samantha chimed in. "The forbidden fruit is the most appealing one in the garden."

Riley sighed at Samantha's dramatic statements, true or not. The three were interrupted by a servant at the door.

"Her Majesty requests your presence, Miss Matilda," he said, before turning and walking a few paces away from the door while he waited for Matilda to join him.

"Excuse me, Your Highness," she said with a smile as she left. Matilda was very friendly with Riley, and very personal, but she liked to remind her that she was indeed a princess, and she deserved to be treated like one.

"I can help you," Samantha said as soon as Matilda and the other servant were gone.

"What are you talking about?" Riley asked, perking up from her slouched position on the chair.

"I can help you get to know Wilt, the valet," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I have to marry Angus anyway, so it would be best if I just forgot about Wilt," Riley sighed, deflating again. She would love to get to know him, of course, but it just wasn't worth the heartbreak that she knew would come.

"For goodness sake, Riley. When you met him, he made your heart sing, did he not? I will help you two to meet tonight, and no one will be the wiser."

Maybe Samantha was right. She had felt her heart stutter when she met him. Their eyes had been drawn together like magnets. That had to mean something, right? That had to be a sign that maybe they were supposed to be friends at the very least. It couldn't hurt anything if she just talked to him tonight.

"Okay, you win," Riley said with a roll of her eyes at Samantha's triumphant grin. "But no one must find out. This must remain between us and him." If her parents found out, she would be in serious trouble, and she didn't want Angus to find out either. He was going through enough already, and didn't need to deal with thoughts of possible infidelity.

"I am well trained, princess. No one will know," Samantha replied a smirk as she slipped out the door with a spring in her step. Riley sighed. What on earth had she just agreed to?

...

"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?" Matilda quietly asked after entering the queen's chambers. The queen was sitting down with her head in her hands.

"I just needed to talk to someone I trust," she said, slowly bringing her head up. Matilda could tell that she had been crying.

"What is the matter?" she asked, quickly walking the rest of the way to Diane. She sat in the chair next to her, and started to rub the queen's back in slow, soothing circles.

"Do you remember me telling you about a soldier I once loved?"

"The one who always joked around but was actually a big sweetheart?"

"Yes, him." The queen sighed, running her fingers through her undone hair. "He's here. He's the prince's bodyguard. I thought I would never see him again, and yet here he is, in my palace." She stood up, and began to pace. "You know that I have never loved Elwood, but Jack Dalton, him I loved." Diane sighed again, and stopped pacing. She crossed her arms across her chest. "I just needed to get that off my chest. I've noticed Rileyna giving me odd looks, so I think she suspects some form of history between Dalton and I. I don't wish to tell her, but you may. Thank you for listening, Matilda, you've always been a great friend."

"Oh, Diane. I'm sorry," she replied. What could she do to help her queen? "Is there anything I can do to make this easier? I can talk to Dalton and ask him to keep away when at all possible, or at least make him aware of how you feel about the situation," she said. It would be impossible to truly keep the man away as long as the prince was at the palace, since he would never leave his charge, but if he knew how the queen was feeling, he may change his behavior or something.

"Just you being my friend has always been enough, but you may tell him whatever you wish. I will defer to your greater judgement." Diane sighed again. "I need to get back to my duties. Again, thank you."

"Any time, Your Majesty," Matilda replied with a smile. Now, it was time to have a word with this Dalton. She already didn't like the man. Even unintentional as it may have been, he had hurt her friend, and she was not okay with that. Still, it would be best to know how he was feeling about all of this. Had he ever had any feelings for Diane, or was it unrequited? Matilda was going to find out.

She headed straight for the prince's quarters, and knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal Dalton himself, standing proudly with his hand on the hilt of his sword. It was as if the man was expecting there to be a threat on the other side of the door.

"Calm down, I'm not here to hurt your ward or anything. I just need to talk to you," she said in a no nonsense tone.

Dalton glanced behind him and said something that Matilda couldn't quite make out - probably something to the prince - then nodded his head. He released the grip he had on the hilt of his sword and stepped out the door, closing it behind him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked in an excessively monotone voice. He looked down at her as if he were watching paint dry.

"You have a history with the queen." Now that got a reaction out of him. Dalton's eyes widened and he changed his stance.

"Yes, we used to be very good friends while I was stationed here, many, many years ago. When I left the King's Royal Army I never saw her again. I had no idea that she went on to become queen," he said, a hint of longing almost in his voice.

"Well, seeing you again has not been good for her, so please, avoid as much contact with her as you possibly can," she said, trying to sound a bit more gentle. "I know you have to remain with the prince, but please, keep the queen's emotions in mind, and keep this subtle." She lowered her voice. "The king should not find out about this."

"Agreed," Dalton replied with a nod. "I'll do what I can, but no promises. I go where the prince goes."

Matilda nodded, and turned to leave. It seemed as thought perhaps Dalton had feelings for the queen too, once long ago. But, now that they were both aware, hopefully any potentially awkward situations could be avoided. She didn't want the queen to have to experience any more heartbreak, especially at the hands of the same man.

...

Murdoc made sure his cloak was secured over the bloodstains on the jacket he had stolen. The man lay dead at his feet and nearly naked, Murdoc having the majority of his clothes as a disguise. In order for the first part of his plan to work, he needed to be able to convince King James he was from the House of Davis. The best way to do that was with a stolen uniform, and uniforms are much easier to steal when their owners are dead. He'd dragged the body far enough into the woods that it would likely be ravaged by coyotes or something else before it was found, not that it really mattered if it was found or not. He just liked the idea of nature ravaging the dead flesh, whether or not he got to see it.

Once he was sure that the cloak would cover the blood, Murdoc swung back up onto his pale horse and started to ride. It was a long way to King James, but the revenge would be worth it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time I've written romance of any kind since I was like twelve, so cut me some slack lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!!

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Riley whisper-shouted to Samantha as the two walked silently through the halls of the palace. The princess was to meet with Wilt, but she was second-guessing her decision.

"Of course it's a good idea. Have I ever led you wrong?" Samantha replied with a smirk, turning back towards Riley for a moment.

"Yes!" Riley responded, eyes wide. Her handmaiden was known for some pretty unorthodox activities that did occasionally wind up getting the both of them into trouble, but somehow, Samantha was always able to talk their way out of it. She was very good at manipulating people with her words to get what she needed.

Samantha only chuckled in response. The two continued walking, careful to avoid the guards, and made their way outside. It was a beautiful night, and the moon was shining brightly in the clear sky. Stars were out in full display, lighting up the beautiful courtyards the two women began walking through.

"You should have about an hour alone together before the guards come around again. Make sure you're gone, and apart from each other by then," Samantha said, stopping just before the opening of the hedges into a garden. "Have fun," she finished with a devilish smirk and a wink. Riley just rolled her eyes at her, and hesitantly walked in.

"Hello?" she said, upon seeing Wilt walking through the gardens, gazing upon the flowers.

He quickly turned around, his eyes widening. "Princess Rileyna, Your Highness, what are you doing here?" he stammered out.

She chuckled. "Please, call me Riley. And Samantha took me here to meet you, actually, but I can go, if you don't feel comfortable-" she started to turn. Maybe this was a mistake.

"No!" Wilt quickly interrupted. "Please, stay. I was just surprised. Samantha told me that she needed to speak to me in private, and to meet her here at this time." He took a few steps to close the distance between them. "But I'm more than happy that she seems to have been fibbing. I am delighted to be in your presence, Your Highness," he said, bowing down to kiss her hand. "I mean, Riley."

The princess giggled. "And what am I to call you, Master Bozer?" she asked once the man had straightened up.

"Just Wilt is fine," he answered with a smile. "If I may ask, why did you wish to meet here? I imagine a princess has many better things to do than speak with a foreign valet at this hour." Wilt look at her with incredulation, and she wasn't sure how to respond. How could she say that she couldn't stop thinking about him, that all she could hear in her mind was his deep voice, or that all she could see when she closed her eyes was his own dark ones?

"Well.." she started hesitantly, looking away. She sighed. She was just going to have to come out and say it, consequences be damned. "Is it wrong to say that I've been thinking about you ever since we first met? To say that despite the friendly affection I have for Angus, I cannot fall in love with him, because my mind has been filled with you ever since I first looked in your eyes? I know it's wrong, but I can't help it. I had to see you again." Riley risked a glance up at him, and saw that his eyes were wide. She hoped she hadn't made the wrong decision by saying what she did. It was definitely improper for a lady to be so forward, and downright wrong for a princess who was betrothed to another to say it, yet she had. Riley had always been willing to take risks and do things that princesses didn't normally do, but this was probably one of the riskiest things she had ever done, no matter what Wilt felt for her.

"You? Have been thinking about me?" he asked, eyes still blown wide as he pointed at her and them himself in turn. Riley gave him a nod in response. "I mean, that's- that's- that's amazing, because all I've been thinking about is you! And Angus feels the same way! He thinks you're great and all, but he isn't exactly falling in love either."

Riley couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Of course he wasn't. It was fitting that neither one of them were in love with the other. That was, in fact, how irony worked.

The two started talking about anything and everything. They sat on the bench together, Riley's hands held in Wilt's larger ones, and they just talked. Riley laughed more than she had in a very long time. Wilt had all kinds of crazy stories that he shared with her, his facial expressions changing drastically throughout each one. She laughed at them all. He was charming, and funny, and cute, and a gentleman, and Riley was falling hard, and fast. She shared her own stories about life in the palace, and even talked about her codes. The whole time, Wilt just stared at her like she was the incarnation of Aphrodite herself. No one had ever looked at her that way before, and Riley couldn't help but blush and turn away. But he seemed to truly care about what she was saying, despite not understanding much of her codes.

Almost too late, Riley realized what time it was.

"We need to be leaving before the next guard rotation comes around," she said. Riley was just glad they were in a time of peace. If there were wars going on, then the rotations would be much more frequent, and Riley would've been unable to share that time with Wilt.

"All good things must come to an end," Wilt replied, turning away and letting go of her hands.

"But we'll do this again," Riley stated, sure of the fact. She wanted to spend as much time with Wilt as she possibly could.

"I want nothing more, Your Highness." He turned back to her with a gentle smile. "May I walk you back?" he asked, extending his hand to her as he stood up.

"You may," she replied, gently taking his hand in her own, and letting him help her up. Even after she was standing, neither one let go of the other's hand. They whispered quietly to each other as they walked, hand in hand. Riley had to fight to contain her laughter, but she couldn't have been happier.

"Good night, Riley. Your Highness," Wilt said, bowing down once more to kiss her hand once the two had arrived at her quarters.

"Good night, Wilt. Master Bozer," she replied with a devious grin. They would be doing this again.

As soon as the door closed between them, Riley's grin grew to an ear-to-ear smile. She turned around and practically danced over to her bed, where she fell down with the smile still on her face.

"I told you it was a good idea."

Riley bolted up at the voice, but quickly relaxed upon seeing that it was only Samantha.

"Don't scare me like that," she said as she let out a sigh. "But yes, I had a wonderful time. I can't wait to see him again." Riley relaxed back into her bed, thinking about how gently Wilt had held her hand, how his eyes bore into hers, how his stories made her laugh like nothing else.

"Even in this faint candlelight, I can see it. You're practically glowing. You have true feelings for him, don't you?" Samantha asked, coming to stand right next to the bed. A knowing smirk was on her face, her arms crossed.

"Maybe," Riley replied, sitting up again. "He is really quite wonderful to be around."

"Like I said, he makes your heart sing."

Riley's smile slowly fell to a look of despair. "What do I do?"

Samantha looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"What do I do now?" she asked, standing up. "Right now, all I want to do is be with Wilt, but I'm still betrothed to Angus. I don't believe there is a way to break the engagement off, even if both of us wish to."

"And does he?"

"Does he what?"

"Does he wish to? Does Prince Angus wish to marry you, or would he rather remain young and free for a while longer? He is only a boy after all. I can hardly believe you're old enough to be married, let alone him," Samantha said, sitting down on the bed that Riley had vacated.

"Wilt told me that Angus doesn't want to get married, that he is not in love with me."

"Good!" Samantha exclaimed, standing up and putting her hands on Riley's shoulders. "Then just talk to him about it. If the both of you simply refuse to marry, then there is not much that anyone can do about it. You cannot be pronounced husband and wife if neither one of you are willing to do it. If you both refuse, then a priest cannot possibly force you, no matter what your parents say.”

Riley took a moment to think about what Samantha said. The woman had a point. A priest in good conscience could not force two people to marry, and if both of them decided to simply not accept the vows, then they couldn’t be married.

“I’ll try to bring it up with Angus, when he’s in a better place to talk about it. I would like to give him some time to grieve his grandfather first,” Riley said with a nod. Maybe this could work. Of course, she knew she wouldn’t be allowed to marry Wilt or anything, but not having to marry Angus would definitely be a step in the right direction.

“Good,” Samantha replied with a smile, removing her hands from the princess’s shoulders. “Now, it’s high time that you should be getting some sleep. We don’t want anyone wondering why you’re so tired in the morning.”

Riley let out a small laugh, but nodded. It had definitely been quite an eventful night.

...

“Angus, please, if you really don’t want to marry Riley, can I?” Wilt asked the moment he closed the door behind him.

Angus laughed, his conversation with Jack dropped for the moment. Wilt would have been surprised to find them both still awake, but he knew Angus didn’t sleep well when he was troubled, and Jack of course would never sleep while Angus was still awake. He couldn’t protect him if he did. The prince hadn't been sleeping well ever since arriving at the palace of the House of Davis, but the death of his grandfather had made it worse.

"If you can convince the courts and the rulers to change their laws, then of course, I give you my full blessing," Angus responded with a smile.

"She's amazing." Wilt closed his eyes as he leaned back against the door with a sigh.

"Is that where you've been this whole time? With the princess?" Jack asked in disbelief. Wilt didn't blame him for being surprised. So was he, if he were being honest. He never thought something like this would ever happen to him.

"Yes, and Angus, I'm sorry, but she doesn't want to marry you."

Angus laughed again. "I could tell that already, and it's okay, because if it were up to me, I wouldn't be marrying her anyway," he said with a shrug. "But, if you feel like causing a potential international scandal, I'll fully support you trying to marry her instead of me having to." Angus smiled brightly, and even if Wilt hadn't been falling for the princess so quickly, he still would've said yes. The smile on the blond's face at the prospect of his friend trying to get the law rewritten would have been enough to convince Wilt to do it.

"We should talk to Riley about it, but I'm pretty sure she'll agree with me to at least try. She's pretty feisty like that."

Jack just shook his head. "Go to bed, Wilt. You too, Angus," he said with a sigh. "Kids these days..." he muttered under his breath as he walked away, back to his own quarters adjacent to those of the prince. Wilt laughed, but followed him after bidding Angus a quick goodnight.

Wilt couldn't help but grin ear to ear. The princess was just so incredible, and he couldn't believe that she actually liked him and wanted to spend time with him. It was insane.

"I can practically hear you smiling," Jack grumbled from the other side of the room. "Go to sleep."

...

Murdoc arrived at the palace of the House of MacGyver in the mid morning. He had stopped to rest for a short while along the way. He needed to be ready for his best performance yet when he finally reached the king, and he couldn't do that if he were falling asleep.

"I must speak with the king as soon as possible," he said to the guards at the gate. "I am a messenger from the House of Davis, and I must speak with him on an urgent, private matter, concerning his son."

The guards searched him, and, finding nothing, Murdoc was escorted into the castle, and brought to a room with an ornately decorated table and some chairs. It was a conference or war room of some sort. Being instructed to wait for the king - however long it would be - Murdoc began to caress the gold embellishments on the table. It was quite beautiful.

The gold on the tables was so beautiful that it reminded him of the prince and his beautiful golden hair. Murdoc smiled. The gold on the table was perfect and pure, but the prince, by the time Murdoc was done with him, would be flayed and broken. He couldn't wait.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this chapter is ridiculously cheesy. I don't really care though. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!

He and Riley had to talk. Wilt would be coming with them, of course, but Angus still had no idea how to bring up the idea that they completely disregard the wills of their parents - the rulers of the kingdoms no less - all in the sake of their own self interest. Neither one of them needed to marry for political advantage, so Angus didn’t feel too guilty about it, but still. He knew Jack would back him up all the way no matter what, but that didn’t make any of this easier. When Angus had told Wilt that he would support him marrying the princess instead, he hadn’t thought about the conversation he would be forced to have with his father if it actually happened. Now that his grandfather had passed, there was no way that James could continue to ignore him. As much as Angus wanted his father’s attention and love, maybe it was better to be ignored. The years following his mother’s death had been filled with pain doled out by James, and it wasn’t something that Angus was eager to receive again. When he had turned ten, James had finally stopped, but that meant that he no longer saw his father at all. The man had given any parental responsibilities to the duke, and Angus had scarcely seen the man since. He actively avoided Angus at all costs. Now, that wasn’t possible.

“The initial conversation won’t be that bad,” Jack assured him, rubbing his shoulder. “If it’s what the princess wants too, then the three of you talking will be okay.” He knew Jack was right. Neither one of them wanted to marry each other. All they were really doing was addressing that fact.

“You’re right, you’re right,” Angus sighed. “Let’s go. I’m supposed to meet her for breakfast anyway.” He started walking towards the door, with Wilt practically bouncing behind him. His valet was much too excited about this. He would be waiting right outside the doors to the dining area with Samantha, and would then join them upon the meal’s completion.

Breakfast was enjoyable, as the two were friends and liked to spend time in each other’s company, but Angus could tell there was something different about Riley. Maybe she had come to the same conclusion that he did, and was preparing to try to convince him that they should try to break it off as well. He wasn’t expecting to get that lucky, but he could hope.

“You seem very happy this morning,” he said, testing the waters in hopes she might say something about Wilt.

“I just had a wonderful dream last night is all,” she replied with a shrug. “It’s a shame that it is but a dream, but they’re what keep life magical, realistic or not.”

So she did have as wonderful a time with Wilt as he said. “What if it could be real? What if you had a lot of people helping you to make it real?”

Riley looked at him with hesitation on her face, as if she understood what he was trying to say, but was hesitant to believe it.

"Let's talk in private with Wilt after breakfast," he suggested. He didn't want to sound too forceful if Wilt had overestimated her interest in him.

"That would be great," she replied with a wide smile. Angus returned her smile with a grin of his own. It really would be amazing if they could pull this off. He took a glance back at Jack, who was standing by the door as always, a grin of his own on his face.

After finishing breakfast, Jack led Angus and Riley back to Wilt and Samantha, who were waiting down the hallway, engaged in some strange conversation about whether or not it would be possible to somehow launch someone above the castle walls without killing them. Angus could've ended their debate in about four seconds, but it was more fun to watch them argue as they failed to notice their appearance.

"Your Highness," Wilt said, wide eyed when he noticed the princess approaching him.

"It's okay, you can call me Riley when it's just us," she assured him with a smile. Wilt just smiled back at her like she hung the stars in the sky. Angus wanted to roll his eyes, but it was a little cute how smitten his friend was.

"Let's go somewhere a bit more private than a hallway," Samantha whispered, ushering them all down the hall and into a small conference room that looked like it hadn't been used in a while, judging by the layer of dust covering everything.

Jack and Samantha stepped aside a little bit, and as much as Angus understood why, he still ached for the assurance that Jack's closer presence provided.

Riley, Angus, and Wilt, all stood around looking at each other, wanting someone else to be the first one to speak. But how were they supposed to start? Angus opened his mouth to talk, but then thought better of it, bringing his fist up to rest against his mouth. Wilt just looked around, thin lipped and wide eyed. Riley was much the same.

"You all want the same thing, just start talking about it already," Jack muttered just loud enough to make sure that they all could hear him.

Angus smiled, but asked, "what if we just didn't get married?"

"Are you sure you're okay with talking about this right now?" Riley asked, catching his gaze. "I know you've been through a lot lately, and we can talk about this later if you'd rather. It's okay." She gave Angus a gentle smile, and he immediately knew that he had never met a kinder woman, except for maybe his own mother.

"I'm alright, but thank you," Angus replied, returning her gentle gaze. "We're not in love, but you and Wilt are, yes?"

Both Riley and Wilt immediately blushed and looked away, but Angus did not fail to notice that they were already holding each other's hands.

"Well..." Riley started, quickly trailing off as she took another longing glance at Wilt.

"Perhaps," Wilt said, never taking his eyes away from Riley.

"Then let's just not get married. We have to at least try," Angus continued with a shrug of his shoulders. He had always hated the idea of marrying someone he didn't love, and he was willing to fight for the right to marry a woman of his own choice.

"I would give up my crown to be able to marry the one I love," Riley said, taking a strong stance with her feet and words alike. "Why should those of royal blood be forced to marry people who are chosen for them while all commoners are allowed to marry whoever they wish? It's wrong, and I won't stand for it."

"And I would allow myself to be thrown in the dungeon in fighting alongside you," Wilt vowed, taking hold of both of Riley's hands, and looking into her eyes, making sure that she knew he was being as sincere as he could be. Angus had been on the receiving end of that sincerity many times throughout their friendship. When Wilt promised something, he always delivered, no matter what. Angus had more than his fair share of baggage, but Wilt had always been there to help him carry it, even though he didn't have to. Riley was lucky to have someone like Wilt to love her.

"Then it's settled," Angus said. "We're not getting married." He smiled at his friends, relieved that the conversation had been just as easy as Jack had said it would be.

"I told you it would be fine," Jack said, coming to stand next to Angus and slinging an arm around the blond's shoulders.

"I shall accompany you to tell the king and queen," Samantha added. Riley's face paled, and Angus could feel his own doing the same. He'd been so caught up in the relief that maybe he wouldn't have to get married just yet that he'd temporarily forgotten about the fact that Riley would have to bring this up to her parents, and Angus would eventually have to tell his father. Clearly, Riley was thinking the same thing.

"Well, yes, I suppose that is the next course of action, isn't it?" she asked with a forced smile. "I will request an audience with them as soon as possible. What about your father, Angus? Should you write him, or wait until he comes here, or what?"

Angus sighed. He had no idea what he was going to do. Writing him would be the best thing now, but that would only give his father's anger time to grow, and make his return home very unhappy. If he waited all the way until his father would join him at the castle of the House of Davis when it came time for the wedding - the wedding the wasn't going to happen - then he would likely be even more mad for having made the trip out in the first place. But how could he leave and go home, leaving Riley and Wilt here to deal with the fallout themselves? He couldn't. Any decision he made would be bad. Apparently, his fear could easily be read on his face.

"I'm gonna be there, no matter what," Jack assured him in a soft voice as he squeezed his shoulder. Jack knew all about everything that James had done to Angus before deciding to ignore his son entirely, and he knew the lasting effects it had on him. "I'm not gonna let you face him alone."

"Neither will I," Riley added in a strong voice. "I may not know your father, or your relationship with him, but I will not let you be in a position where you have to be alone. You're never alone, Angus." Riley stepped towards him and put a gentle hand on his arm with a smile.

"I follow the princess, so I will be with you too," Samantha said, taking a step closer.

"And you already know what I'm going to say," Wilt added with a smile.

"We're your family, and family means that no one is ever alone," Riley said, pushing past Jack to embrace Angus. It was unexpected - everything about this was unexpected, who was Angus kidding - but he returned her embrace with one of his own, quickly hiding his face in Riley's hair for a moment to hide the emotion he felt. He hadn't had a family like this since before his mother died. He had nearly forgotten what it felt like, to be loved this much. This wasn't what he had been expecting upon the announcement that he would be traveling to the House of Davis and marrying, but he wouldn't replace it for the world.

...

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," King James said upon opening the doors of the conference room, his royal robes billowing out around him. He didn't sound the least bit sorry at all, but then again, Murdoc wouldn't have been either, so he couldn't fault the king for that, no matter how much he hated him. "What brings you here from the House of Davis?"

"Your Majesty, it's your son," he said, impressing himself with how easily the title rolled off his lips, despite his low regard for the man in front of him. But that was a gift of his lack of empathy: his easy ability to lie. "I'm afraid there's a problem with his bodyguard."

"What kind of problem?" the king asked, narrow eyed. "I selected Dalton myself, there shouldn't be any problems." And there it was. James was so sure of himself and his superiority that he found it impossible for anything of his mind to have fault. Even if the man hadn't been the reason his son was dead, Murdoc found himself knowing that he would likely hate the man anyway. However, he found all but two human beings he had ever met to be incredibly repulsive, so that really wasn't saying much.

"It seems the prince has grown overly attached to his guard, and I know there are strict rules prohibiting that in your kingdom. I have witnessed their relationship firsthand, and it seems to be one with an incredible bond that far exceeds any normal friendship, let alone the working relationship that a bodyguard should have with his charge," Murdoc said. He watched as the king rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention," he groaned. "You're right, we can't have that. I'll send a guard back with you that can replace Dalton for the time being while I find a suitable long term replacement. When you get back, please order Dalton to return here immediately." The king stopped, grabbing some parchment and a pen from the desk against the wall. He wrote something on it, folded it, and sealed it with his ring. "Give this to him. He can't refuse it without committing treason." He handed the paper to Murdoc, and turned to leave. "You will be shown out," he said, not even looking over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. Murdoc couldn't help but chuckle. The king just made it so easy to hate him.

A palace guard quickly came to the room and escorted Murdoc out of the castle. He readied his horse to leave as slowly as he could. It would be easier if he and the new guard left at the same time. Thankfully, just as Murdoc was beginning to give up and decide on somewhere off the road he could wait and watch for the new guard, another man came towards him, horse in tow.

"You are the messenger from the House of Davis?" he asked. Murdoc nodded with a fake smile. "I'm Henry Fletcher. I'll be riding back with you," he said, extending his hand.

Murdoc accepted the hand. "Murdoc," he said. Fletcher looked slightly uneasy, but that was likely because almost everyone who ever spoke with Murdoc was slightly uneasy. Murdoc found it both flattering and a disgusting statement about humanity's innate fear of basically anything.

Less than five minutes later, they were leaving the castle, and less than an hour later, Fletcher was lying dead on the side of the road, stripped of his uniform. A pale horse rode away, its rider wearing the uniform, and accessorizing with a sadistic grin.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, college has been hectic recently, with lots of homework and pledging stuff taking up most of my time. The dice game featured in this is a real game called "hazard", and it existed at the time of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, so I thought it was fitting for this AU. The rules are very confusing, but it seemed like something Mac would love. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!

Angus sat with his back against the wall. His foot was bouncing with nerves, and even if it hadn't been, Jack still would've been able to tell how stressed the kid was. His eyes kept going from staring blankly ahead to darting all around the room at every tiny noise.

"You need to calm down," Jack said, coming to step into the blond's line of sight. "You don't even know if she's talking to her folks right now. They have to have the time to talk to her first, and it's only been five minutes." He put his hands on Angus' shoulders, forcing the prince to look at him. "It will be okay, I promise you, no matter what."

Angus nodded shakily, taking a deep breath. He was finally able to stop his foot from bouncing, and ran his fingers through his hair. He practically jumped up from his seat the moment the door opened, looking over at Riley with wide eyes.

"So? What did they say?" he asked, barely giving the girl time to breathe.

"I couldn't get in to see them yet," she sighed. "Matilda said that if I need to speak to them in private, then I won't be able to until late this evening. I said that was okay."

Angus sank back into his seat, but nodded.

"Then what do we do in the meantime?" Wilt asked, finally saying something for the first time since the princess had left to talk with her parents.

They all stood around looking at each other for a moment before Jack spoke up with a small laugh, saying, "you have fun together. You're all kids, you be kids for a while." He could see Samantha rolling her eyes and heard her mutter that she wasn't a child - and maybe she was right, because the woman was a good deal older than the rest of them, but she was still much younger than Jack, so she would still be considered a kid in his eyes - but even she couldn't hold back her smile.

So have fun they did. Jack watched with a content smile as the four laughed and had fun and played games and just genuinely enjoyed being in each others' presence. Wilt and Riley grew closer and closer throughout the day, until by the afternoon, one hand was constantly being held by the other. Jack wanted to roll his eyes, but young love was rather adorable. He held back a sigh at the unbidden memories of Diane that came rushing back. The two of them had been rather close while he was a soldier, and they had had many a moment much similar to those that Riley and Wilt were sharing. Hopefully things would end much better for them than they did for Jack and Diane. Riley seemed like an incredible young lady, and Jack wanted nothing but the best for her. Although he would never say it out loud, he wanted the same for Wilt. He had been such a good friend to Angus, and the boy needed as many of those as he could get.

"Jack, don't just stand in the corner watching and waiting for something to happen," Angus said, breaking Jack's internal dialogue. "Come join us." He motioned with this hand for Jack to come over, a smile lighting up his face.

Jack rolled his eyes in fond exasperation, but walked over nonetheless. "Sorry kids, but I don't wanna lose my job." He leaned in close to Samantha, as if what he was going to say next was only meant for her, but he barely lowered his voice at all. "You see, I would win, and then I would be embarrassing the royalty, so off with my head and all that," he said, making a slicing motion across his throat.

"You wish you were that good at hazard," Wilt cut in, elbowing Jack in the hip. "You're just scared you're gonna lose because Angus usually wins."

"It's all statistics and probability, what can I say?" Angus said with a smile. He pulled out the seat next to him and patted it, looking up at Jack like a puppy who wanted to play. Jack couldn't say no to that face. With another roll of his eyes - because he couldn't let anyone know that he was happy to be joining them in the gambling dice game - he sat down next to the prince with a thud.

"What are you even gambling for anyway? You're royalty, you don't need the money," Jack grumbled, looking from Angus to Riley.

"Bragging rights," the princess quickly replied. "And you'll be losing them, old man."

"Old man?" Jack repeated, raising his hand to his heart with a mock look of hurt on his face. "I prefer the terms wise and experienced, thank you very much." He couldn't hold back the smile from his face as those around him laughed. In all honesty, as long as they were having fun, so was he.

They began to play, with Angus annoyingly proclaiming the probability of every dice roll, how Wilt was never going to win with the numbers he was picking, and how Jack couldn't just rewrite the rules of the game just because he was losing. Samantha was surprisingly good immediately, but it took a few rounds for Riley to catch on. Evidently she hadn't played hazard much. The two women could barely keep a straight face long enough to pick a number with how much the boys bantered anyway. But it was some of the most fun that Jack had had in a long time.

It was just too bad that the fun eventually had to end.

It was early evening when the guard came to the door, requesting that Prince Angus and Sir Dalton immediately come to the foyer of the palace.

"What's going on?" Angus asked, concern on his face. The guard said nothing, only shrugging and walking away.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Jack said, putting a hand on Angus' shoulder as he led the prince out of the room. Jack turned his head and motioned for the others to follow, and they wisely did so at a distance.

Upon arriving at the foyer, Jack and Angus weren't greeted by the king or queen, but by a man dressed in the royal guard uniform of the House of MacGyver, much like Jack. He stood tall, at about the same height as Jack, and had a smile on his face that was deeply disturbing. Jack wasn't sure what it was about it, but there was just something off about the man. He and Angus shared a brief look of confusion before turning back to the man.

"Can I help you?" Jack asked, taking a small step in front of Angus. He resisted the urge to put an arm out across the boy, because there was no physical threat that he could see. Still, every bone in his body was telling him that the man in front of him should be kept away from the prince at all costs. The man wasn't even looking at Jack. He only looked at Angus, and in a way that made Jack very uncomfortable. Jack could feel the kid make the slightest move closer to him, and knew that Angus must feel the same.

"You would be Sir Dalton, the prince's bodyguard, yes?" the man asked, slowly tearing his gaze away from Angus.

"Yes," he answered hesitantly. "Who are you?" Jack didn't move from his place in front of the prince.

"I am Murdoc, and I'm here to give you this," the man said, holding out a scroll tied with the king's ribbon.

Jack slowly reached out his hand and took it, untying it and opening it up. The first thing that caught his eye was the king's signature down at the bottom, complete with a seal. This was official business. He went back up at the top and began to read:

"Sir Dalton,  
It has come to my attention that your relationship with my son has gone beyond that of a professional relationship between a bodyguard and royalty. As you know, that is strictly prohibited. Effective immediately, you are to return to the House of MacGyver to be reassigned. Your replacement should already be present at the House of Davis.  
Signed, His Royal Majesty, King James"

Jack felt his heart drop. No. This wasn't happening. He wasn't being taken away from Angus, that was impossible.

"You can't do that!" Angus shouted out, taking a step forward. He must have read the letter over Jack's shoulder.

"Your father can, and he did. Dalton will be leaving immediately, and I will be replacing him."

"Like hell you are," Jack growled. There was no way that this man could replace as Angus' protector, not this man that everything about him screamed wrong. Jack wouldn't allow it.

"He's not leaving. You can't make him leave!" Angus shouted again. Jack put a hand on his shoulder. The kid was breathing too quickly, close to hyperventilating.

"I'm not leaving you, kid, and you know that," Jack said, putting a gentle pressure on the prince's shoulder as if to physically affirm that.

"Oh, dear Prince Angus, I know that being royalty and all, you are quite used to getting what you want all the time, but that's not how it's going to work anymore," Murdoc said, a sickly sweet smile on his face. "By order of the king, Dalton is leaving, now." Murdoc clapped his hands together twice, and all of the guards around the room converged on them.

Angus grabbed onto Jack's arm with all the strength he had, but two guards grabbed him, pulling him away from Jack.

"Don't touch him!" Jack shouted out, striking one of the guards. No one got to touch Angus, to pull him away from him.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Dalton," Murdoc said, annoyance heavy in his voice. "You will be leaving, either of your own volition, or in chains. Please choose wisely."

Jack immediately stopped struggling against them. The guards stopped once he did. He couldn't let Angus see him getting dragged away.

"I'm gonna get this straightened out, okay?" he said, taking a step closer to the prince. "I'm gonna talk to your father, and I'll be back here in no time, I promise you."

"Jack..." Angus replied, his eyes filling with tears. He reached out and latched onto Jack like a lifeline, burying his head in Jack's shoulder and clutching the back of his tunic to harshly that Jack could feel his fingernails on his back. He wrapped his own arms around the boy, holding him as tightly as he could. He swore to himself that this would not be the last time he would hold his friend, his little brother - his son - in his arms. He would be coming back. He would always come back for Angus, no matter what.

After a minute, the guards were back and they were pulling Jack and Angus apart. Angus renewed his struggles against them, fighting as hard as he could to hold on to Jack. Jack's heart broke more and more, knowing that if he struggled too, only bad things would happen, and it would be even harder to get back to him.

"Angus, it's going to be okay," he said, tears filling his own eyes at the sight of a few falling down the boy's face. "I'm coming back, I promise. Nothing can keep me away from you," he swore. Jack turned away, knowing that if he looked at the kid for even a moment longer he wouldn't be able to voluntarily leave - if this could even be called voluntary at all. He saw Wilt, Riley, and Samantha at the entry of the room, Riley with a hand over her mouth, Samantha's hand on her shoulder, and Wilt's eyes wide. He nodded at them, and let the guards lead him out the door. He squeezed his eyes shut at the small whimper he barely heard from Angus, but it only strengthened his resolve.

It was a good thing that no one from the House of Davis would be joining him back to the house of MacGyver, because any one of them would be able to affirm the king's statement, that Jack was too close to Angus, especially after that terrible parting. But Jack was going to fix this, and get back to Angus. He was going to fix this, or die trying.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make up for lost time here lol. I will be gone this weekend so I won't be able to watch the episode or post a tag to it until Monday at the earliest. I'm hoping to get another chapter up before I leave, but no guarantees. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!!

Angus stared at Murdoc in fury. The man only smiled back at him. This man that had taken Jack away from him was actually smiling.

"Why would you do this?" he said, in barely more than a whisper, as he swept away the last remnants of tears.

"Oh, sweet prince, I had to. It's the rules your father made. Be mad at him, not me," Murdoc replied, smiling the whole time.

Angus was mad at his father. He was furious with the man. But he was mad at Murdoc too, and there was no way that he wasn't going to show that.

"Stop calling me that," he muttered, turning around and walking back to his friends, who were still all standing around in surprise. He didn't fail to notice that Murdoc followed him at a good distance behind. "Let's go before he catches up," he said, picking up the pace back to one of the various living rooms they had been using before that whole mess started.

They let Angus lead the way, with Wilt right behind him, holding Riley's hand. Samantha kept up the rear, with Murdoc still following about forty feet behind them. The moment the four of them were back in the room, Angus closed the door and locked it with Murdoc outside.

"I do not want to share a room with that man," Wilt said, breaking the tension.

Angus couldn't help but laugh at that. "Neither do I," he replied with a smile.

"What just happened, exactly?" Riley asked in a small voice, as if she wasn't sure if she should be asking at all.

Angus sighed. "My father has this rule that bodyguards and their charges aren't allowed to have close personal relationships. They're barely supposed to talk to each other," he said, sinking into the heavy chair.

"It's been that way since his first bodyguard died," Wilt continued for him, resting a hand on his shoulder. Angus closed his eyes against the memories of Alfred. The man had been a dear friend. "The king knew how much losing Alfred had hurt, so he created the rule to make losing bodyguards easier, and to make them more expendable." Wilt began to rub his shoulder, and Angus relaxed into the touch.

"It worked at first," Angus admitted. "I was so torn up over losing Alfred that I hated Jack, just because he wasn't Alfred. I didn't treat him well, so he treated me the same. But after an attempted kidnapping, I saw how much he really took his job seriously, so I started to respect him more. Soon after that, someone tried to have Jack killed to make it easier to get to me, and I ended up saving him, crazily enough. And the rest is history." Angus smiled at the memories. It had been a rough road starting out, but their friendship eventually grew into something that would define them both, and Angus didn't want it any other way.

"I'm sorry. I can't even imagine what you must be going through right now," Riley said. Angus noticed her taking glances at Samantha much the same way that he looked at Jack. "We've never had restrictions like that." Riley looked confused, and Angus was jealous of that. He wished that he and Jack had the same luxury that Samantha and Riley did. He wished that they had been able to show the world that they weren't only a prince and his bodyguard, but best friends, brothers even. Riley and Samantha often acted like sisters, and Angus would guess that they felt like them too. But they got to show the kingdom that, and he didn't. Angus tried to not be too jealous, after all, it wasn't their fault. It was his father. It was moments like these that he truly hated the man. He couldn't even say when the last time he had spoken to his father was. They may have lived in the same castle, but Angus was lucky to even see the man, much less talk to him. Even then, he usually only saw him at royal functions. It had been up to Harry all of those years to teach Angus what it meant to be a prince.

But Harry was gone too, and Angus hadn't even been allowed to return home for the funeral. He hung his head to hide the emotion in his face. Harry was gone, and now he would be lucky if he ever saw Jack again. The man had promised that he was coming back, but Angus knew he couldn't really promise that. There was a good chance that Jack would be immediately sent to some post out in the middle of nowhere, and that was only if the king didn't have him imprisoned or executed for insubordination. Angus quickly wiped at hs eyes to stop the tears that were forming. No, there was no way that that would happen. No matter what, Jack would find a way to get back to him. He always did, and Angus had no reason to believe he couldn't do it again. Jack would move mountains to get back to him. Nothing could stop him. Angus just had to remember that every moment of every day, and then, soon enough, he really would be back. Murdoc would be gone, and he would be the one that he would never see again. There was just something about the man that made Angus feel incredibly uncomfortable. Maybe it was the way he seemed to look on with joy as Angus and Jack were torn apart, how he had smiled so widely as Angus had cried out for Jack. Something was wrong with him, and Angus didn't trust him. Not at all.

"It's okay," he muttered in response. "It's not your fault or anything. But after all that, I think maybe we should wait a few days to talk to your parents about breaking off the engagement."

"I agree. We should let things cool down first," Riley replied, looking longingly down at her hand still intertwined with Wilt's.

"I was just about to suggest that," Samantha added with a sad smile. "Give the house time to gossip about today, then bring them something new."

Angus couldn't help but smile at the way she put it. She wasn't entirely wrong, as terrible as it was. Everyone in the palace would soon hear about what had happened. Giving them something else just as newsworthy to talk about so soon would be a terrible idea.

"What do we do now? Or even until then?" Wilt asked, looking between the four of them. He was right. It wasn't as if they were just going to go back to playing hazard like nothing had happened. Besides, it wouldn't be the same without Jack and all of his mock surprise at losing every single round.

"We lay low, we don't cause any trouble, and we wait until Jack gets back. He'll be back in a few days, and this mess will be over," Angus muttered. He hated the looks of pity he got from the others. Jack was coming back, and everything would be fine. He didn't need their pity.

"Considering the circumstances, I think I could arrange for supper to be brought here, privately for us," Samantha said. "It would probably be best to keep us all away for the night."

The others muttered their agreement, and Samantha slipped out of the room. Glancing through the door while she had it open, Angus could see Murdoc standing directly across the hall, with that sick grin still plastered on his face. He didn't know why, but he shivered in fear.

...

Murdoc couldn't help but smile. Everything was falling into place perfectly. Dalton was gone, taken care of, leaving the boy without someone to protect him. It was going to be so easy to steal him away that very night. And before then, things would be delightfully awkward for the prince and his valet.

"Your quarters are in there with Wilt," the prince muttered with a small gesture towards the open door. Murdoc almost teased him for mumbling, but thought better of it at the last second. There would be time for that later.

Several hours after the blonde woman had food delivered to them in that living room, all four left for their own quarters. None of them even looked at him, but he didn't mind, he simply followed the prince like a good bodyguard would. He didn't speak to them, and they didn't speak to him until they told him where his quarters were.

With the way that Wilt looked at him, he could tell that the young man was uncomfortable, but didn't want to make it obvious. The fear in the prince's eyes was shadowed by anger, but that fear was still clear for Murdoc to see. He could see everyone's fear, and he reveled in it. But, he would've been lying if he said wasn't excited for the anger to be gone, and for there only to be pure, unabashed, terror. And oh, the boy would be terrified.

Soon after returning to their quarters, the prince and the valet turned in for the night. Murdoc wasn't stupid enough to enact his plan immediately. He needed to wait until both the prince and the palace were deeply asleep. Of course, he'd spent enough time watching the palace to know the nightly guards' schedules by heart, but still, it didn't hurt to be careful. But, only a few hours later, it was time.

Murdoc was nearly giddy with excitement. He carefully reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the vial. It would be enough to keep the prince asleep for as long as he needed. Quietly, Murdoc moved from the quarters he shared with the valet - who snored so loudly it was a wonder that the prince got any sleep at all; Murdoc almost killed him in annoyance - and into the prince's bedroom. There the blond beauty was, fast asleep in his bed, curled up in a fetal position. How cute.

As carefully as he could, Murdoc uncapped the vial, and tilted the prince's head back just enough to get him to reflexively swallow it. It was just as simple as Murdoc knew it would be. With a smile, Murdoc drew back the sheets to uncover the boy. He slept without a shirt, and he was beautiful. Murdoc lightly ran his fingers down the boy's abdomen, admiring his muscles and smooth skin. Tsking to himself, Murdoc shook his head. It wasn't the time for that. The goal was to hurt the boy and make him scream, not break him completely. Maybe another time.

He picked the boy up and briefly held him in his arms, admiring his beautiful body and chiseled face. He certainly was a sight to see. Murdoc then pulled him over one shoulder, as to have an arm available to open doors. Quickly checking the boy's breathing - it had slowed and deepened, just as it should have - Murdoc walked to the door and opened it. The hall was empty, just as it should have been. With a smile, he waltzed down the halls with the boy over his shoulder, avoiding all of the guards just like he knew he would. Studying their movements had been tiring, but worth it for the ease of the abduction.

Within only a few minutes, Murdoc was outside and in the stables, laying the boy over the back of his pale horse. He tied the boy to the horse in order to keep him from falling off - and took several minutes to admire the way the boy looked with ropes all around his body, because he was beautiful and this was a sight that Murdoc would cherish in his memory forever - he got on himself, and led the horse out of the stables. It was a quiet night, and he was sure that any other person would be admiring the stars. He was never much of a stargazer himself. Why look at something that was beautiful if you couldn't have it? But the beautiful boy tied to his horse, he had him in his possession. He was attainable, unlike the stars. Murdoc couldn't help but think of how much more beautiful the boy was going to be once he was covered in blood.

About an hour later, Murdoc had arrived at his small cottage in the middle of the woods. No one would be around to hear the boy scream. Once he had the boy settled in the cellar - sufficiently restrained by ropes with knots so complicated, Murdoc wasn't sure if he would be able to undo them himself - he sat astride his horse again and prepared to repeat his actions.

The palace was just as dead as when he had left, just how he knew it would be. This would be the part that was going to be potentially more challenging. Getting rid of Dalton had been easy, but getting rid of the princess' protection would be more physically demanding. He knew the blonde woman was much more than a handmaiden, which was why he had his knife sharpened prior to taking up this endeavor.

Murdoc carefully opened the door to the princess' quarters and stepped inside, being careful to close the door behind him. Just as he suspected, the "handmaiden" was on him like a hawk - did she even sleep at all, because clearly she was awake when he came in - immediately coming at him with a knife. But she wasn't fast enough, since Murdoc was expecting this. He quickly stepped and drove his own knife into the woman's stomach one, two, three times, with only a sharp gasp of pain leaving her mouth. She made a few choking sounds as Murdoc lowered her onto the floor, but as much as he would've loved to, he couldn't stand around and listen. The princess was still asleep, and once Murdoc had dosed her with the rest of the vial, she would certainly remain asleep. Getting her out of the palace had been just as easy as getting the prince out, aside from having to step around the handmaiden - was she still alive, oh well - and the pool of blood.

As Murdoc rode away from the palace for the second time that night, he couldn't stop the laugh that left his mouth. This had been so easy, and yet, so fun. And really, the fun was only just beginning.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, I will be gone this weekend, so don't expect the next tag or a new chapter until Monday at the earliest. That being said, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!
> 
> Also, please note that the tags have been updated!!!!!

The first thing Riley was aware of when her senses slowly returned to her was that she didn't feel well. She was slightly nauseous, and felt lethargic in general. Riley tried to snuggle further into her bed, intent on sleeping it off, but quickly realized that something was very wrong. She wasn't lying in her bed at all. Her back was up against a hard, cold structure, and she couldn't move her hands. Panicking, Riley opened her eyes, and was greeted with darkness. There was only a small sliver of light coming from some sort of crack in the ceiling. Riley tried to wiggle her hands, but they seemed to be tied together, and tied to something above her head.

Riley's eyes went wide at a sudden realization: where was Samantha? Clearly she had been kidnapped, but Samantha wouldn't have let her be taken without a fight, so something must have happened to her. Riley couldn't remember anything, so she had no idea what could've happened to Samantha. She could only pray that her friend was okay, but she didn't think it was likely. But she couldn't think about Samantha now. That would just make her panic more, and that wasn't going to help get her out of this mess.

Riley barely held back a gasp when she heard something. It sounded like a groan coming from the other side of the room. She wasn't alone.

"Hello?" she hesitantly called out. The groan came back, a little louder this time. "Is someone there?"

"Riley? Is that you?" a voice called out. The voice sounded as lethargic as she felt, maybe even more so, and it sounded like...

"Angus?" she called out. Had he been taken too? What was going on? "I can't see you. Can you remember anything?" Maybe he knew what was going on.

"Not really," he almost slurred. "Just goin' back to my quarters, then nothin'."

"Are you-"

Riley's question was interrupted by a sudden creaking sound and blinding light. She squeezed her eyes shut against it for a moment, then forced herself to take a look around her surroundings while she could. It was Angus, but he was in a slightly different position than her. He was tied to a column in the center of the room - which she could now see was a cellar - and was kneeling against it. He looked even more uncomfortable than she was. Riley averted her eyes when she realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt, only trousers. She was glad that he wasn't facing her, and thus couldn't see her in her nightgown.

The source of the brightness was the daylight outside, and the creaking had been the doors to the cellar opening. Riley's eyes went wide again when she saw who was coming down the stairs, chuckling all the way. It was Murdoc, and he didn't look to be in any hurry to help them.

"What's going on?" she asked, her eyes flitting between Angus and the man who was supposed to be his bodyguard. Riley could feel herself moving back against the wall as Murdoc crept closer to her.

"Don't worry sweet princess," he said, that sickly smile still plastered on his face. "I'm not here to hurt you. I promise you, that you will be leaving here completely unharmed. You are merely here as a witness. The precious prince, on the other hand-" he turned on his heel, and slowly walked over to Angus, who was cranning his head, trying to see the man "- will not be quite as fortunate." Murdoc ran his fingers through Angus' hair, chuckling again at the blond's small gasp of surprise.

"What do you want? What have you done with Jack?" Angus practically growled out. He was twisting wildly in an attempt to get out of Murdoc's grasp, but to no avail.

"I got him out of the way!" Murdoc exclaimed, as if he were excited to share the news. "I knew he would be the only thing that might be able to stop me from taking you, so I made sure he wouldn't be around to stop me. As for your dear handmaiden, who we all know is much more than that," he said, turning to face Riley once again. "Skilled as she may be, I knew I would easily be able to dispatch her. I don't know if she was alive or dead when I left her, and frankly, I don't really care."

Riley tried to pull out of her bonds again in an attempt to lunge at the man for what he did to her friend, but of course, she couldn't get away. "You're sick," she said in disgust.

Murdoc laughed, shaking his head slightly. "Maybe so," he said. "But you may be sick after I'm done for the day." He turned on his heel and walked past Angus towards the shelves on the other side of the room - petting the prince's head as he passed. The shelves were filled with everything you would expect in a cellar, so mostly food, baking supplies, and tools. But there was only one tool Murdoc grabbed: a whip. It wasn't just any whip either. It had several ends, each one Riley knew was capable of slicing through skin and even muscle. Her breathing sped up as she looked at it, looked at the way that Murdoc was stroking it, almost lovingly. The man was practically petting the thing.

Riley looked from Murdoc to Angus, and everything became all too clear. The boy was shirtless, with his back facing Murdoc. It was obvious what the madman intended to do.

"You can't do this. This is treason," Riley said, trying to reason with the man before he started what she knew he intended to.

"I'm way past treason, my darling princess," he replied with that sick smile.

Angus kept trying to turn his head in order to see what was going on behind him, but he wasn't at an angle to be able to. Murdoc was behind him now, and Angus still didn't know what was coming.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. It didn't make sense to her. There were no wars going on anymore, and even if this had been in retaliation for that, most people wouldn't kidnap the prince from one kingdom and the princess from another. It just didn't make sense.

"Well, I'll admit I was inspired by revenge, and that is the primary goal, but not my favorite one," he said, unraveling the whip and readying it. Riley's heart kept beating faster and faster as she tried to control her breathing. She couldn't stop this. She could only watch in horror as her friend was about to be tortured in the manner of the worst criminals. Angus was still silent, trying lightly to slip his bonds, but it didn't look like he was having much success either. He didn't even know it was coming. Riley couldn't decide if that was better or worse. "The real, true reason," Murdoc continued. "Is because it's fun."

His sick smile suddenly turned into a nasty sneer, and he drew his arm back and quickly brought the whip down on Angus. The boy screamed, his back arching at the pain and unexpectedness of it all. Riley's eyes quickly started to well with tears, as Murdoc struck Angus again, and again, and again, and again...

After the initial strike, Angus didn't scream for several more, but as his back became bloodier, and the whip made the existing slashes deeper and deeper, he began to cry out again. He was wildly pulling at his bonds, trying to get away, but that only served to cut his wrists. Riley watched as blood trailed down his arms, much like the tears that were streaming down her own face.

"Stop!" she shouted at Murdoc. This still didn't make any sense. "Let him go!" she cried.

Murdoc didn't reply. He only began to laugh as he struck Angus again and again. The man even moaned in pleasure as Angus began to cry out louder.

"You have such a beautiful scream, sweet prince," he said in-between strikes. "It's music to my ears."

She could tell that Angus was trying to keep it together, but the pain was too much. Riley hung her head and began to sob when she saw the tears falling down the boy's face. She couldn't listen to his screams anymore, couldn't watch while Murdoc tortured him.

Finally, after what seemed like hours later, when Angus' screams and cries had faded due to pure exhaustion, Murdoc smiled again, saying, "now that was just too fun." Riley just glared at him, at the blood all over his face and clothes, at the blood dripping off the whip that still hung in the man's grasp.

"You're despicable," she growled. She glanced over at Angus again, who was still quietly crying, his forehead resting against the column he was tied to. His whole back was a bloody mess, with so many slashes that it was impossible to tell where one started and the other ended. Riley wasn't even sure if she would have been able to count them even if all the blood was cleaned away. "He's going to die if you leave him like this."

"I know," Murdoc practically chirped. "But that, my dear princess, is where you come in." She only stared at him quizzically until he continued. "You are here to bear witness to what the sweet prince will endure every day until his father complies with my demands." He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a small scroll. "You will bring this to his father, and I advise that you not delay. I am what they call a lunatic or a madman, and there's simply no telling what I'll do to him. After all, he does look simply ravishing covered in blood." Murdoc dropped the whip to the ground, and reached out with his free hand to begin running his fingers harshly through Angus' hair. The prince whimpered, flinching heavily as he tried to pull away.

"Just leave him alone!" she yelled at the man, pulling at the ropes that held her. "Haven't you hurt him enough?" Riley couldn't bear to see her friend in any more pain.

"Oh, it's never enough," Murdoc replied with a sigh, but he did step away from Angus. "Not for me it isn't. I'm insatiable, darling." He walked back over to Riley and knelt down next to her, pulling a knife out of his coat pocket. The man ran the side of it almost lovingly down her cheek. It took everything Riley had to remain still. After what felt like years, Murdoc pulled the knife away and started cutting away the ropes that held her wrists. When he was done, he quickly moved away, picking the whip back up with one hand, and holding out the scroll with the other. "Take this and go, now," he said.

Riley hesitantly stood up, staring at Angus. How could she leave him alone with this madman? Like Murdoc had said, there was no telling what he would do to the kid. He’d already been through so much, and Riley didn’t want to let anything else happen to him.

“You take this to King James right now, or I’m gonna start again with the pretty prince now instead of waiting until this time tomorrow,” Murdoc continued with that sick smile.

“Alright,” Riley replied, nodding shakily. “Just let me say goodbye first.” Murdoc stepped aside and gestured towards Angus. She nodded her thanks and hurried over to her friend. Riley made sure she was in his line of sight before she gently took his face in her hands. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” she said, trying to hold back her tears. "I'm so sorry this happened. You don't deserve this." Angus remained silent, but leaned into her touch as a few more tears fell down his face. He had to be in so much pain. Riley wanted nothing more but than to make it go away. “I’m gonna get your dad, and I’m gonna get Jack too, somehow, I promise. I swear to you, I’m gonna get you out of this. It’s gonna be okay.” Angus nodded, and closed his eyes against the pain. Riley leaned in and gently kissed his forehead before reluctantly standing up and ripping the scroll from Murdoc’s outstretched hand.

“How touching,” he mocked. “Now go. Get out. Or I will make him scream again," he said, once again reaching for the whip.

Reluctantly, Riley moved towards the stairs, taking another glance back at Angus as she did so. If she hadn't just spoken to him, she would've thought he was dead. The boy was so still, and silent. It was a far cry from the lively and upbeat prince she'd grown to care about so much. She hated to leave him alone with the lunatic, but what other choice did she have? Besides, even if she stayed, it wasn't as if she could stop Murdoc from hurting him. She'd been helpless to stop the whipping. All she could do was watch as Angus screamed and cried out. At least maybe she could actually get him some help.

Murdoc had told her to deliver the scroll to King James, but how was she supposed to get there? Taking one last look at Angus, Riley ran up the stairs of the cellar and out into the daylight. It looked to be early morning, and Murdoc had said he wouldn't hurt Angus again until the same time the next day. There was no knowing if he was going to keep his word, but at least that hopefully gave her a full twenty-four hours to do what she could.

Looking around, Riley spotted a horse tied to the fence surrounding the small cottage at the edge of the woods. The horse was wearing the colors of the House of MacGyver. Had Murdoc stolen it? Whatever the case was, hopefully it knew its way back home. Carefully, making sure the horse wouldn't be startled, Riley untied the horse and quickly climbed up, putting the scroll in the saddle bag - she tried to ignore the blood, Angus' blood, on the scroll. She quickly steered the horse away from the cottage, and soon brought it to a gallop. She just needed to find civilization as quickly as she could. If she was going to reach the House of MacGyver in time to spare Angus from more pain, she needed to be there in a matter of hours. Who knew how long it was going to take for them to get through whatever bureaucratic nonsense they needed to, and there was no telling what Murdoc's instructions on the scroll were going to be. He'd said it was revenge, but revenge for what?

Riley's thoughts drifted briefly to Wilt. Was he okay? Had he been hurt? She wished there was a way to let him know that she was okay, but there wasn't time for her to go home. She needed to save Angus, and since the prince was his best friend, that's what he would want too.

Urging the horse on faster, Riley focused on finding the closest town. She couldn't afford to be distracted. Angus' life depended on it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the length makes up for being late. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!!

Jack was fuming the whole ride back to the House of MacGyver. How could the king possibly believe that it was better for his son to not be close with his bodyguard? And what right did he have to decide that anyway? He may have been the king, but it wasn’t as if he was an active part of his son’s life. Angus had told him everything about his life before his father started ignoring him completely. The man didn’t have any right at all to decide things for that boy.

He had commandeered a horse and rode hard back to his home kingdom. He needed to be able to get back to his kid as quickly as possible. Jack just knew that Murdoc could not be trusted, so he didn’t want to leave Angus alone with him for any period of time.

Most people around the palace recognized him, so he didn’t have to stop once he got there. Jack made it in record time, so quickly that he was proud of the horse. He hated to ride that hard for that long, but Angus was more important. He was sure the horse would understand if it could comprehend why Jack was doing it.

Based on the time of day, Jack had a pretty good idea of where he could probably find the king. He would likely be in the last meeting of the night, with the highest ranking court members. By barging in, he was being highly insubordinate and rude, but Jack couldn’t bring himself to care.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, nearly shouting, upon throwing the doors open to the king's favorite conference room. The king was there, along with a few members of the court, just as Jack had assumed.

"Sir Dalton, you are out of line," King James replied, turning away from the court with a scowl. "You'll have to make an appointment."

"Like hell I will. We're having this discussion now." Jack knew he was treading on very thin ice, and could very well be court martialled for this, but he had never been known to think before he spoke.

"Sir Dalton," the king started through clenched teeth. "What is so important that you're risking the dungeon?"

"Angus."

Recognition finally dawned in James' eyes. Had he truly forgotten?

"Ah, yes. The reassignment." He leaned over and whispered something to the court members, who nodded and left the room. "Those are my orders and you will be sticking to them," he said, barely turning to meet Jack's furious gaze. "You know the rules and regulations, and you disregarded them. Those are fair grounds for reassignment."

"Don't act like you want what's best for Angus. You've never acted in that boy's best interest." Jack took another step closer and lowered his voice. It was cold, and deadly, just like Jack would be to protect the prince. "I know what you did to him. I know you only started ignoring him because the court was finding out about it, and there would've been a coup if they did. I know you had the three court members who saw you hurt Angus killed so they couldn't talk. You've never cared about that boy. You don't care about anyone but yourself."

Jack stared down James, and the king stared right back, but Jack wasn't giving in. The man deserved to squirm under his gaze, king or not. He deserved far worse for what he had done to Angus.

"Well there's nothing you can do about it," James sneered. "Sir Fletcher is qualified enough to serve as guard until I find the best replacement."

"Fletcher? The man who came to the House of Davis was named Murdoc."

That seemed to catch the king by surprise. He looked genuinely confused, which Jack knew was a rare look on the highly intelligent man. That just served to make him even more concerned about the entire ordeal.

The door suddenly burst open, and in walked four guards. "I'll figure out what to do with you later. For now, you can spend some quality time in the dungeon and think about the proper way to address your king."

The guards grabbed Jack by the arms, and he knew better than to resist. That wouldn't help his case at this point. He was fine with spending the night in the dungeon if it meant he got to make actual progress with James. The man still held a confused look on his face, and seemed to be mouthing the name Murdoc, as if it sounded familiar to him, but wrong.

The guards didn't speak to Jack as they took him to the dungeon and locked him in a cell after removing his sword and hanging it up on the hook on the opposite side of the hallway. He was alone in his cell, and for that he was thankful. He needed some time to think about what he was going to do. James would likely come to speak with him the next day, and he needed to be prepared to make his case well enough to convince him that he needed to be reunited with Angus. He wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight.

...

Wilt was woken by the sound of the doors to his quarters bursting open. He quickly shot upright with wide eyes, and was barely out of bed by the time he heard what the guards were shouting.

"Find the prince!"

Find the prince? What? Wilt quickly made his way into the main quarters, taking brief notice of the fact that Murdoc was gone, and saw that Angus' bed was empty. There were four guards around the room, running over to the window and back into Wilt's quarters.

"What's going on?" he asked, a little scared to know the answer.

"Where's the prince?" the guard asked him in a much calmer voice than he had been using earlier. Wilt appreciated that.

"What do you mean? He was here last night. Where's Murdoc? Shouldn't you be asking him?" he asked in reply. The implication that Angus was missing made his heart race, and he knew immediately that something was very wrong.

"The princess was kidnapped last night, and Lady Samantha was stabbed. She said it was Murdoc who did it. And now it appears as though the prince is missing too."

That was when Wilt's heart stopped. "Riley's been kidnapped?" he asked in disbelief. He knew he should've said Princess Rileyna, but with the sudden surge of adrenaline, he couldn't be bothered to care. The moment the guard nodded in affirmation, Wilt bolted out of the room and down the hall. He needed to find Samantha now.

"Where's the infirmary?" he asked the first poor servant he saw, gripping her shoulders and staring into her eyes.

"In the east wing," she replied. Wilt immediately bolted down the hall again, ignoring her question of "are you alright" that the poor girl had just begun to ask. It didn't matter. He needed to find Samantha if he was going to find Riley. He couldn't let anything happen to her.

The infirmary was bustling with activity, which gave Wilt enough of a distraction to slip in and start looking for Samantha. There, at the end of the long hall of beds, stood the king and queen. That was a good place to start.

"What happened?" he asked the moment he ran up next to them. He was right, they were standing over Samantha, who looked barely conscious.

"Master Bozer, excuse me," Queen Diana said, as if he shouldn't have just run up beside the royals without first presenting himself, keeping up the pretense of formality. Wilt took a quick look at her, and could see that it really was only a pretense. The woman looked terrified.

"I need to know what happened, and Samantha is the only one who can tell me," he said, pleading with the queen in desperation. The king only looked at him quizzically. Wilt could tell that the man was concerned, but was trying much harder to retain his composure than the queen was. Elwood gestured with his hand towards Samantha and took a step back, which Wilt took as an invitation to step closer to the woman. He walked right up towards the edge of the bed and knelt down so that his head was level with Samantha's, who had turned her head to face him rather than the royals. "What happened last night?" he asked again, his voice breaking slightly. He was so scared for his friends, and hated the idea that the man who had been assigned to protect Angus had done this.

"Murdoc..." she started. Wilt was willing to give her as much time as she needed to get it out. He knew that rushing her would only make things worse. "he came in quietly...with a knife." Wilt's eyes went wide. Had he hurt Riley? "I ran at him...but he was too fast...he left with her."

"Did he hurt her?" Wilt asked. He couldn't stop himself. If that bastard had hurt the beautiful princess, he would tear the man limb from limb. Samantha seemed to ponder the question for a moment before shaking her head. That was good at least. "What about Angus? Do you know if he's okay? Where he is?" Samantha shook her head again.

"That's enough," Elwood interjected. "Let her rest. There's nothing you can do about it anyway," he muttered.

"As Angus always told me, 'just because something is impossible doesn't mean you shouldn't try'."

"That's nice, but you're a valet, and you really can do nothing. Leave it to the soldiers."

"I will not leave it to the soldiers when my best friend and the woman I love are in danger!" Wilt shouted, not realizing what he said until the royals both stared at him with wide eyes. There was no taking it back. He had just said that he was in love with Riley. He hadn't even admitted that to himself yet. But it was true. Riley was all he wanted, and he truly did love her. Wilt may have thought about the lovely idea of love at first sight throughout his life, but he never thought it would happen to him. But it did. He may not have realized it until now, but he had loved her from the moment he saw her. "I will not leave them to whatever fate Murdoc plans for them." With that, Wilt quickly turned on his heel and walked out of the infirmary. He had to do something, but what?

He needed to find Jack. Jack would know what to do. As inconspicuously as he could - he was honestly surprised that he didn't get caught, because he was not known for subtlety - Wilt stole a horse from the stables and began to ride. He needed to get to Jack.

...

Riley rode as hard and fast as she could. She had never ridden like this in her life, but she didn't have a choice. There was no telling how long it would take to do whatever Murdoc was ordering the king to in the scroll, so she needed to save as much time as she could. She would not let Angus be tortured again. She just wouldn't. Even as she rode, she still heard his screams in her mind, still saw his bloody flayed black, saw the blood that sprayed Murdoc's face and evil grin. They would haunt her as long as she lived. She hadn't been able to save him that time, but she would be damned if she let it happen again.

It had been difficult at first to orient herself, since she had no idea where she was, but Riley had come across a town about an hour into her ride. Once in the town, she quickly found a map of the area and knew where she needed to go to get to the House of MacGyver. It seemed as though Murdoc's cottage was about halfway between the two kingdoms, on the outskirts. It was more in the neighboring kingdom than either hers or Angus'.

Riley had to force herself not to care about everyone's stares. She was still only clad in her nightgown, making her feel very exposed, but she didn't have the time nor the money to purchase more clothes. She could try telling them she was the princess, but there was no guarantee that they would believe her, especially dressed as she was.

After a few more hours ride, Riley had finally arrived at the palace. It was late morning, almost early afternoon. She needed to get this done as quickly as possible.

Jumping off the horse the moment she was past the gates and into the courtyard before the castle, Riley ran up the steps as quickly as she could, trying to ignore the pain in her bare feet whenever she stepped on a rock. It wasn't as if Murdoc had given her any shoes.

"I need to see the king!" she shouted out as soon as she reached the top of the steps. "I am Princess Rileyna of the House of Davis and I need to see the king!" she shouted again. The guards stopped her as she tried to enter, taking gentle but firm holds of her arms. "You don't understand, Angus will die if I don't see the king!"

The guards looked at her, then each other, before saying, "young lady, you should really be getting home."

Riley looked at them, dumbfounded. They thought she was crazy, that she was a lunatic. "Jack Dalton, he'll tell you the same. I am Princess Rileyna, my father is King Elwood and my mother is Queen Diana. I am betrothed to Prince Angus but I'm not in love with him. Jack Dalton is his bodyguard and he'll vouch for me. Or at least he was until yesterday." Riley pulled away from the guards and held the scroll out in front of her. "Last night, I was kidnapped by the new guard sent for Angus, Murdoc, and this morning, he tortured the prince to get revenge for something. He let me go and gave me this, and told me to bring it to King James, or else he would torture Angus again. Please let me in to see the king," she pleaded. Riley hadn't intended to tell them everything that had happened, but she was willing to do anything to save Angus.

"You better go find Sir Dalton, just in case," one guard said to the other.

"Didn't you hear? He's in the dungeon for insubordination."

Riley's eyes went wide, but she wasn't exactly surprised. From her short time of knowing Jack, she could tell how fiercely loyal and protective of Angus he was. She wasn't surprised that upon his return he would be very insubordinate to the king.

"Then let's just bring her down to see him." One guard gently gripped her arm, and she let him. Seeing Jack, even if he was in the dungeon, should help her to get in to see the king.

Two guards quickly took the place of the two who left their posts, and Riley was walked into the palace. It was just as exquisite as her own, to which she wasn't surprised. The House of MacGyver was known not only for their extreme intelligence, but for their surety of their own intellectual superiority. It was only natural that the palace would be just as showy as its royals were. Angus had been different. Yes, he was vastly more intelligent than the rest of his friends, and he knew it, but he didn't flaunt it quite like Riley knew the rest of his house had for centuries. That was just something about him that Riley loved.

The guards brought Riley down to the dungeon, and she was surprised to see the king down there, already talking to Jack. Despite the circumstances, she almost smiled. Two birds with one stone. But as she was brought closer to Jack, the facts of why she was there in the first place reared their ugly head, and she was suddenly fighting back tears, both of anger and fear. This was all James' fault. If it hadn't been for him, Murdoc never would've been able to take Angus. Jack never would've let that happen.

"Jack!" she called out once she was in clear view.

"Riley?" he called back, immediately halting his conversation with the king. Riley broke free from the guard and ran up to Jack's cell, almost physically pushing past the king in the process. She tried to reach through the bars to hug him, and she didn't know why. She generally wasn't that physically affectionate, especially with people she hadn't known for very long, but something about Jack just screamed safe, and she couldn't put her finger on why. It made sense why Angus looked up to him so much. She reached her hands through, and Jack took a gentle hold of them. "What are you doing here?"

"Excuse me," the king said, his voice full of condescension. "I was just beginning to have a conversation. I am king and you will not disturb my matters."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," one of the guards said. "She claims to be Princess Rileyna and demanded to speak with you. She said that Sir Dalton could confirm her identity."

"I am Princess Rileyna, and you need to let him go!" she shouted at the king. She didn't care what he thought of her. It wasn't as if she would ever be his daughter-in-law, and she wasn't one of his subjects, so he couldn't do anything about the way she spoke to him.

"Riley, whats going on?" Jack asked again. Riley turned to look at him instead of glaring at the king, and saw how concerned he was. She was about to make it a lot worse.

"It's Angus. He's hurt. It's bad," she said. Jack's face turned from concerned, to white with fear, to red with rage, all in the matter of a few seconds.

"This is your fault!" he shouted at James. He was right, and Riley had been thinking about that for a while.

"There's more," Riley said, stopping him before he could yell at James more. As much as Riley would've loved to hear that, they had more important things to do, and they were on a time constraint. Riley held out the scroll to the king before continuing. "When I woke up this morning, I was tied up in a cellar. So was Angus." Riley tried to ignore the panicked look on Jack's face. "I still don't know how we got there. But then the doors opened, and Murdoc came down. He said he was doing this for revenge. He had a whip, and he- he-" she stopped. She couldn't say this. She couldn't say what the man had done to Angus, how he had nearly killed him. But she had to. Continuing in a low voice, she said, "he flogged Angus, badly. There was so much blood." Even as her eyes once again welled with tears at the memory, she couldn't bring herself to look at Jack, because she was terrified of what she would see. "Then Murdoc let me go, and told me to give you that scroll. He will continue to torture Angus every day at dawn until you either do what he says, or Angus dies. Whichever comes first."

Riley finally turned to look at Jack, and was surprised by what she saw. Gone was the white face of fear, and redness of rage. In its place was a face that to most people would've looked perfectly calm, but Riley knew better. She had seen it on her father on his worst days, and it terrified her. The only reason she could stand it now was because she knew that Jack would never hurt her. It was a face of highly controlled fury. It was a fury that was barely contained under a surface of calm, and a fury that would soon come unleashed. And it looked like James was going to be the target.

"You did this," Jack seethed. "This is your fault." His voice was as deadly calm as his expression. "If it wasn't for you I would've been there to protect him." Jack's voice was rising further and further with every word. "But instead, I was stuck here in the dungeon, while your son was tortured!" His face was red now with exertion, and Riley knew that if he had a sword on him, he probably would've begun to swing. "You did this! And you are lucky that I can't get to you, because if that kid dies, I will kill you." His voice returned to deadly calm at the end, and Riley knew that he meant every word of his threat.

James said nothing. He didn't look scared, or angry, or anything at all. He took the ribbon off the scroll and unraveled it. Riley couldn't read it from where she was standing, and it probably wasn't in her best interest to move.

"What does it say?" she asked. "How do we get him back?"

After a moment, James cleared his throat and replied, "we don't."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, the Bozer/Riley in this is supposed to be sort of like a fairtytale, so if you think it's super cliche and unrealistic, that's because it's supposed to be. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!1

Everything hurt. Angus knew he had never been in this much pain in his life, not even back when his father still-. No. He wasn't going to think about that right now. That wouldn't help. Angus tried to hold back a whimper of pain as he tried once again to free his hands from the ropes, but the knots held. Blood continued to flow from his abused wrists, and he was pretty sure that the blood hadn't stopped flowing from his wrists yet.

"Oh, little Angus," Murdoc said. The man hadn't left. He had been there for the last however many hours it had been since he had let Riley go, sitting mostly in silence. Angus knew it was too good to be true to think that maybe the man had left so silently that he hadn't heard him. He couldn't turn to face him, so without the man speaking, he couldn't tell for sure whether or not he was still there. Clearly, he was.

"Just leave me alone," he replied. It came out as more of a plea than he had wanted, but Angus was willing to cut himself some slack, considering what he had been through.

"I could never do that." Murdoc stepped closer, and surprised him suddenly gripping his hair. Angus grit his teeth against the added pain. "You are far too special to leave alone. I'm sure it took a lot to convince your daddy to ignore you." Angus tried to pull his head away, but to no avail. "I wonder, did dear old daddy love to hear your pain as much as I do?"

"Just stop," Angus seethed. He didn't need to listen to this. He didn't need to be reminded of what his father did to him for years. It already played on repeat in his dreams for the past ten years, so he wasn't likely to forget.

"King James never listened to you, and neither will I," Murdoc said, suddenly releasing his grip on his hair. "Besides," he continued. "You're mine now. It's not right that a man like James gets to have a son only to completely ignore him, while my son was taken away from me!" Murdoc crouched down right next to Angus, so he could see him. There was still blood on his face - Angus' blood - and his eyes raged with fury. "So if he truly doesn't care, then I will take his son away from him, just like he took mine!" Angus flinched away as Murdoc shouted in his face, and couldn't stop himself from shaking slightly. Murdoc was going to kill him. It was only a matter of time, he was sure. "If your daddy doesn't do exactly what I say, then I will make you scream at every dawn until all of the life leaves those pretty blue eyes." Murdoc pulled away with a smile and a laugh. The man was insane, but Angus knew he was serious. He really would kill him. No matter what it was, his father would never negotiate with the man, not even to save his own son. But James hadn't treated him like his son in years anyway, so he shouldn't have been at all surprised. "Get ready, sweet prince," Murdoc continued, running his hands again through Angus' hair. He tried to pull away, but he couldn't. "Dawn is coming, sooner than you think."

The hand suddenly left his hair, and Angus could hear the man begin to walk up the stairs, chuckling as he went. The man closed the doors to the cellar, and Angus was once again left in total darkness, save for the smallest sliver of light that escaped through a crack. The prince had to force himself to take slow, deep breaths. He'd never been a big fan of the dark. Having the imagination that he did, along with what his father did to him when he was angry - which was all the time - made the dark especially terrifying. Angus had to remind himself that there was nothing there. He had been in there for hours already, so he knew there was nothing there. But still, Angus couldn't deny he was scared, and he couldn't blame it all on the dark. He was going to die. When dawn came, Murdoc was going to torture him again, and he would do that every day until Angus was dead. There was nothing Angus could do to change that. Maybe Riley would get to his father in time, and maybe she would find Jack, but the king would never help them. Angus was doomed, and he knew it.

He just wanted to see Jack again. Jack had promised him that he was coming back, and Jack always kept his promises, so maybe everything would be okay. If anyone could figure out a way to get him out of this, it was Jack.

Angus drifted off into unconsciousness as he kept whispering to himself, "Jack is coming, he always does."

...

"You better think very carefully about what you just said, then give a new answer," Jack growled. If he wasn't still in that cell, he would've likely lunged for the man's neck, king or not. How dare he just say that they weren't getting Angus back. Of course they were going to get him back, no matter the cost. Jack would move hell and earth for that boy. He wasn't going to let the king stop him.

"Dalton, I can't," James replied with a sigh, as if he were talking to a petulant child and not a seasoned soldier. "Murdoc's son died in the war, and he blames me for it, so he took Angus. If we are to get him back, then I have to go to him, alone, and let him kill me. That's not happening, and Murdoc probably knew that the whole time. I can't abandon my kingdom for the sake of one person."

"Your son!" Riley shouted out. "He's not just a person! He's the prince, and your son. Are you really going to do nothing to save him?" she asked in disbelief. Jack could see the surprise mixing with anger in her eyes. He didn't blame her.

"One life, Princess Rileyna, even the life of my own son, is not worth the kingdom losing its king," he said. He didn't even seem to care at all.

"But you'll lose your heir," Riley pleaded. Jack already knew it wouldn't work.

"It's not that hard to make a new one," James muttered in reply.

Jack was doing everything he could to keep his mouth shut. If he spoke, he would only unleash words full of vitriol towards James, and that was not going to help him or Angus. Riley was the princess, a diplomat, and Jack needed to let her handle this before he got himself into even more trouble. Riley would come through.

"At least let Jack and I take a platoon of soldiers to rescue him and kill Murdoc. I know where he is, I could save him!" she continued.

James was silent. At least he seemed to be considering it.

"If you don't do this, you're not only a worthless father, but a worthless man, and a worthless king," Jack spat out. He couldn't stay silent anymore. If James said no, then all of Jack's respect for him would be gone. Most of it already was, but he still had the smallest bit of respect for him as the king. It would be gone if he said no.

"Fine," James muttered with a roll of his eyes, as if agreeing to let people rescue his son was some huge burden to take on. The king unlocked the door to Jack's cell, but Jack only stood for a moment, arms crossed.

"I don't know if you opening that door was a good idea," he growled, fists clenched.

"He's not even worth it, Jack," Riley said with a shake of her head. "He's not worth a bruised fist, or anything else."

Jack let himself smirk at the girl's words. If anyone else had said that, they would immediately be thrown in the dungeon. But she was the crown princess of the House of Davis, so she had that privilege. The girl certainly had spunk. He walked out of the cell, pushing past the king with a little bit more force than necessary, but he didn't care. He a rescue mission to plan and execute before dawn.

...

Wilt rode as best he could back to the House of MacGyver. He wasn't the best rider, so it took much longer than he would've liked, but he was back by mid afternoon. The castle looked just like it always had, which felt wrong. How could it look so calm and peaceful when who knows what was happening to Riley and Angus somewhere? They probably didn't even know the two had been kidnapped. Hopefully, they would believe him. But he needed to find Jack first. Jack would know what to do, he always knew what to do when it came to all things Angus. This would be no different.

Wilt hopped off the horse and walked up to the castle gates. Being the prince's valet, he was recognized and let into the palace. He stopped at the main door to ask the guards if they knew where he could find Jack. He wasn't expecting to get a positive answer from them, but he had to start somewhere.

"Have you seen Sir Dalton recently?" he asked them.

"He's certainly popular today," one of the guards muttered. Wilt looked at him in confusion, so he continued, "A girl claiming to be a princess asked for him this morning. She was pretty insistent about it too."

Wilt's heart leapt with hope. That had to be Riley. What other princess would ask for Jack? "Princess Rileyna?" he asked.

"Yes, I believe that's the name she gave," the other guard said. "I'm not sure where they are now."

Wilt didn't answer. Riley was alive. She was okay. He could've cried in relief. But what about Angus? Was he okay? He burst through the castle doors, intent on finding out, asking everyone he saw if they had seen either Riley or Jack. As everyone said no, he just kept going through the palace. He would search every damn room in the whole castle if he had too.

About ten minutes after running through the palace, Wilt ran past a conference room, and heard a familiar voice speaking in a strong, authoritative tone. It was Jack. He threw the doors open, and his heart stopped. There was Riley, standing next to Jack. She was alive and safe. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Ignoring everyone else in the room, Wilt ran forward, calling out her name. She turned towards him, her eyes widening in shock when she saw him.

"Wilt!" she called out, stepping aside and eagerly accepting the tight embrace that he enveloped her in the moment he was close enough to do so. He still couldn't believe she was okay.

"You're alive, you're okay, you're safe," he muttered into her hair. Wilt moved one hand from her back to the back of her head, gently massaging her. He breathed in the smell of her hair, holding her as close as he dared, as if she would disappear again if he let go.

"Yes," she replied. "Yes, I'm okay, I'm okay." She sounded almost on the verge of tears.

Almost reluctantly, Wilt pulled away just enough to look her in the eyes. He needed her full attention to say this. He didn't even care how many eyes were on them, or what any of them thought. All he cared about in that moment was the wonderful woman in front of him.

"Riley, I love you," he said breathlessly. He had always been very upfront with his feelings, but this probably took the cake.

Instead of replying, Riley surprised Wilt by crashing her lips onto his, and moving her hands to his head to pull him closer to her. He may have been surprised, but he quickly recovered, holding her close to him as they kissed. He never wanted the moment to end, and he never wanted to let her go. But it couldn't last forever. He had so many unanswered questions, and there were a lot of other people in the room. But Wilt still had one more thing to say.

"I love you too," Riley quietly said after pulling away, her lips still only an inch away from his own.

"I never want to lose you again," he replied, opening his eyes and pulling a little further away, just to be sure that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Princess Rileyna, I know I have no right or place to ask this of you, and there is no reason why you should should even entertain the thought, but I have loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you, and I want nothing but to spend the rest of my life with you. I know I'm nothing but a valet, but I'm a valet who loves you. Riley, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Riley quickly replied, wrapping her arms around him once more, and pulling him closer to her in order to kiss him again. The moment lasted an eternity, yet only a second at the same time. Wilt had no way of knowing how long it really was before the two pulled apart, still gazing into each other's eyes. He knew there was a slim chance that they could actually be married, but he loved her and she loved him, and in that moment, that was all that mattered.

"What happened?" he finally asked. "How did you escape? Where is Angus?" He was hesitant to let her go, but was eventually forced to. Still, he held her hand as she turned back to Jack. He glanced at the man, and saw him struggling to hold back a smile at them.

"He let me go," she said. Wilt stared at her in surprise. From what Murdoc had done, it didn't seem like he would be the type to do that. Riley and Jack started to fill him in on everything that had happened, from waking up in the cellar, to Angus' torture - at which Wilt had to fight to keep both his stomach and emotions in check - to Murdoc's ultimatum, and James' refusal. Jack provided colorful insults to the king throughout the entirety. "But what happened at home? My parents are probably terrified," Riley said, closing her eyes with a sigh.

"Samantha is hurt," he admitted. "It's bad, but the doctors are hopeful. I don't know what their plans are though. I left before I found out. I just knew I needed to get to Jack."

"Good call," Jack said with a small smile. "We were planning the rescue mission when you came in here with your love confession." Wilt and Riley both blushed, glancing at each other before looking away. Jack still smiled. "And that's what we're going to continue to do," he continued, his voice suddenly growing serious and his smile falling. "Riley knows where to go, and she's refusing to stay behind, so she'll be up front with me. Can I assume that you'll insist on joining?" Wilt nodded. "Figures. You are not trained for combat situations, so please, do exactly what we tell you to do, and stay behind with Riley once we get in sight of the cottage." Wilt nodded again.

It seemed as though they had most of the plan already together. There were about fifteen soldiers standing around the table - why weren't any of them sitting? There were chairs right there, yet they all stood. Wilt stood too, not wanting to be the one to break first. Maybe it was a soldier thing - who were all listening intently to Jack.

Wilt knew it had been a while since Jack had led soldiers. He hadn't since he got assigned to be Angus' bodyguard, but it was something that he excelled at. Jack was one of, if not the, most competent soldiers he'd ever met. If anyone could pull off a rescue mission against a madman, it was Jack.

Jack straightened up to his full height and crossed his arms. "Now, if we all know the plan, let's go save the prince."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is shorter than I wanted it to be, but since I'm so busy with pledging coming to an end, I wanted to give you guys a chapter while I could. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!!

The night air was chilly, but there was a fire in Jack's blood. From what Riley had told him, Angus was going to be in pretty rough shape when they found him, and that terrified him. What if it was too late? What if he simply lost too much blood due to the flogging and couldn't recover? He knew his mind was just making the worst case scenario from what Riley had told him, but still, he couldn't deny his fear. Angus meant everything to him, and he couldn't imagine a life without the boy. He would give up his own life for him, bodyguard or not.

Riley had easily led them back towards the cottage. Jack was thankful for her excellent memory and sense of direction. The princess was vastly intelligent, much more so than any woman Jack had ever known - at least, more than any woman had ever let Jack know. Women often seemed to be more intelligent than they let men know, and it never ceased to amaze Jack. They had left in the evening, and knew that they should arrive sometime in the night based on how long Riley said it took her to get to the palace, but well before dawn, which was all they needed. They would not let Angus be hurt again.

As they came upon the cottage, Jack ordered Riley and Wilt to the back. Neither one of them had any combat training, and although it was fifteen soldiers and Jack against one man, he didn't want to take any chances with either of their lives. Theoretically, Murdoc wouldn't even know they were there until it was too late, but the man was a lunatic, and they couldn't be sure he didn't have some trap planned.

Jack's priority was Angus. As much as he would've loved to be the one to slit Murdoc's throat, it was much more important to him that he was the one who found the prince and got him to safety. He would head straight for the cellar, and he would get Angus out of there.

"You stay here, and you look out for each other," Jack said to Wilt and Riley, holding them back about fifty yards. The two each sat atop a horse, and looked at each other before nodding. Jack knew they would die for each other. "I'm gonna go save Angus, and I need you two to be here to help him when I get him out." Jack turned to address the soldiers, dismounting his horse. The soldiers did the same. "Five of you storm the house from the front, and five of you from the back. The rest of you, clear the stable, and make sure that bastard can't slip away." The soldiers all nodded, their jaws set in determination.

Jack led the men forward, signalling them to storm the premises. Without any hesitation, Jack threw open the doors to the cellar - the locks were undone, so he was on guard - and ran down the stairs with his sword drawn. As he suspected, Murdoc was down there with Angus, holding a knife to the boy's neck. Riley's description did nothing to prepare him for the utter horror he felt upon gazing at Angus' bloody back. He was absolutely flayed, with so many slashes covering his back that Jack was afraid there wasn't any unmarked skin left. Jack wanted to vomit and cry and scream and murder the man who had done this to his boy, but he couldn't yet. He needed to be strong until Angus was safe. Nothing else mattered but Angus. That's the way it had been for years, and that's the way it would be for the rest of his life. Nothing ever came before that boy.

"It's over, Murdoc," Jack said, wanting to be the first to speak. "Let him go."

"Jack-" Angus started, only to be cut off with a gasp when Murdoc pressed the knife closer to his skin and pulled his hair tighter.

"Oh hush now, little prince. Papa bear can't save you. I can slit your pretty little throat whenever I want, and then I will bathe in your blood, and there's nothing your dear bodyguard can do about it," Murdoc said with a smile. "You see, Jack, you have no power here. I had a feeling that good ol' King James wouldn't make an appearance, but you would. I needed to insure that I still got what I want, and Jack, I always get what I want," he said, pressing the knife even further into the prince's neck, eliciting a small whimper from the boy.

"You let him go, or you die," Jack growled. He needed that man away from his kid. "There is no version of this where you come out on top. If you hurt him again, you die. If you let him go, you go to the dungeons for the rest of your miserable life. You cannot get out of here free."

To his disgust, Murdoc only smiled more. "That's where you're confused. I don't care about freedom. You can kill me if you want, but I still get what I want. This little prince's blood will still stain the ground, and King James will have to live with that for the rest of his life. I don't care about my life. I only care about ending his."

Jack's heart broke even more at the pained gasp that left Angus' mouth. Murdoc was pressing the knife more with every word, and there would only be so much that Angus could take until they wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding. And worse yet, Jack didn't know what to do. If other soldiers came down, Murdoc would surely kill Angus. If he stepped closer and tried to attack with his own sword, Murdoc would kill Angus. Chances were, if he just stayed there, the man would kill Angus. Jack couldn't find any scenario where he could get the madman away from his kid.

But then he didn't have to, because suddenly, Angus' hands were no longer tied behind the column, they were free and Angus slashed upward with a knife, eliciting a shout of surprise from Murdoc when the blade cut his arm. Then Angus was on the ground and his neck was bleeding, and he was holding a knife that Jack hadn't seen, and clearly Murdoc hadn't either. Jack took the opportunity and ran forward, skewering his sword into the man's stomach. He let out a disgusting gurgling sound, and fell to the ground once Jack pulled his sword out.

Jack was overjoyed, but equally confused. What on earth had just happened? One moment, Angus had been tied to the column, facing Murdoc while the man stood in front of him with a knife to his throat and a hand in his hair, and the next he was free with a knife of his own and providing the distraction Jack had needed to strike. He would have to get answers once he knew that Angus was okay.

He quickly ran over to the prince and knelt down beside him. "Hey, hey, bud," he said, ripping off part of his tunic and gently pressing it to the kid's neck. It didn't seem to be bleeding too badly, but Jack wanted to be safe. "How did you do that?" he asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. He didn't need the kid to know how absolutely terrified for him he'd been.

"There was a knife in his coat," Angus replied, his voice small and weak. "I could reach it, and cut the ropes." Angus leaned into Jack's touch when the man brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Please get me out of here," he whispered, closing his eyes.

"We're leavin' right now, kid, let's go." All Jack wanted to do was hold the boy in his arms and never let him go, but he was scared that he would hurt the kid. His back was so bloody, and he'd been in enough pain to last a life time. Jack would never forgive himself if he added to that.

Avoiding his bloody wrists, Jack took a gentle hold of Angus' arms, and helped to pull him up off the ground. He tried to tune out the boy's sounds of pain as the wounds on his back were pulled, but it was useless. Jack's ears had been fine-tuned to Angus for years, and he could never ignore the kid. Without asking him - because Jack was sure the prince would say no - Jack gently put one of the Angus' arms around his own shoulders to provide some support as the two walked up the stairs. Angus' legs were shaky and weak, and it was a good thing that Jack had assumed as much. The kid almost collapsed multiple times on the way back to the horses.

"Angus," Riley sighed in relief when she saw him. She quickly dismounted her horse and ran towards him, pulling him down to her in a light embrace with her arms wrapped around his neck, careful to avoid his bloody back. "I'm so sorry this happened," she said. It sounded like she might have been about to cry.

"It's not your fault," Angus said, returning the embrace with his free arm. "You're the one who brought Jack here, so thank you."

"I'm so glad you're okay," Wilt said, coming up next to Riley and taking her hand once she let go of Angus. The prince looked surprised to see him.

"How did you get here?" he asked him.

Gently rubbing Riley's hand, Wilt explained the same thing he had told them earlier, about waking up to chaos, Samantha being wounded, then racing to the House of MacGyver. As he spoke, Angus began to lean more and more heavily on Jack, who took on as much of his weight as possible. Angus had to be in an enormous amount of pain, and Jack just wanted to do everything he could to help him.

Once Wilt was finished explaining, Jack helped Angus up onto his horse. He knew the boy wouldn't be strong enough to ride himself, so he would be riding the same horse as Jack, with his arms wrapped around Jack's torso. Jack quickly hopped up himself. He didn't want Angus to be alone, even for a minute. The rest of the soldiers were mostly mounting as well, except for the two that came up out of the cellar, pulling Murdoc with them. He was still alive.

Jack could feel Angus tense up behind him the moment the man came into view, then begin to shake. Both Wilt and Riley drew closer to Angus, for which Jack was thankful. Even if the man couldn't hurt Angus anymore, it was good to have his friends so close to his side to reassure him that he was safe.

"He can't hurt you," Jack said. "I will never let him touch you again." It wasn't fair that any of this had happened, but Jack would be damned if it ever did again. That man shouldn't even have been alive anymore, and yet he was. "He will rot in the dungeon for the rest of his life."

Angus pulled his arms tighter around Jack, and pressed his head harder onto Jack's shoulder, turning away from Murdoc.

"Oh, little prince," Murdoc taunted. "You can't hide from me."

"Shut him up!" Jack shouted at the soldiers bringing Murdoc. They quickly procured a gag and made sure that Murdoc wouldn't be able to speak for the entire ride back. But they couldn't do anything about the way that he looked at Angus. Jack was glad that the kid refused to look at him, because Murdoc's gaze was predatory and hungry. If he could, he would kill the man where he stood. He thought that he'd done that in the cellar, but evidently he had only wounded him.

Jack could feel Angus continuing to shake behind him. "It's okay, kid, I promise you're safe now. I'm not gonna let him hurt you again," he said, holding one of Angus' hands that clutched the front of his tunic. His hand was ice cold. It wasn't just that he was scared - because the kid was clearly damn scared - but also that he was freezing. In his various layers, Jack felt just a light chill, but Angus had only trousers on. It broke Jack's heart that he couldn't do anything about it. Some of the wounds on the boy's back were still sluggishly bleeding, and anything they put on his back to keep him warm would stick, and only cause more pain. Hopefully, the close proximity to Jack on the ride back would keep him a bit warmer. Jack could feel Angus nod against his shoulder as the boy snuggled further into Jack, his arms coming to wrap tighter around his torso. "Let's go home," he said, urging his horse forward. He needed to get Angus medical attention, and Murdoc needed to be thrown in the dungeon to rot. That man would never touch his kid again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will probably only be two more chapters after this one. For those of you who thought it was too easy, don't worry, there's a lot that's gonna go down in the chapter after this one. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!!

The moment they returned to the palace, Jack held most of Angus' weight and helped him back to his own quarters. There were surprised gasps and whispers from those they passed along the way, but Angus tried to ignore them. Paying them any mind would only make things worse. He knew that Jack was trying to get him back as soon as possible and without letting a lot of people see, but it was dawn, and there were servants all around getting the castle ready for the day. Angus was just glad to be home.

"Here we go, bud," Jack said as he carefully helped Angus to sit down on the side of his bed. Despite the brevity of the walk, Angus was almost panting with exertion. He knew that meant his back was probably infected, which only meant that he was in for more pain. But at least Murdoc was gone.

Angus carefully maneuvered onto his stomach - well, Jack helped him to get onto his stomach - and waited for the physician to come. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared. He knew he was in for a lot of pain, and he didn't want that, he just wanted the pain to stop and the memories of the flogging to leave his mind forever. Jack must have noticed that Angus had begun to shake, because he suddenly felt a gentle hand on the unmarked part of his shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay, kid," Jack said in a calming voice. "I promise you, it's gonna be okay." The emotion in his voice took Angus by surprise. Jack had really been scared for him. No matter how many times Jack proved to care about him more than anything, somehow, it continued to surprise him. The fact that someone could love him so much seemed impossible, and yet here he was, with a bodyguard who loved him like a brother, a son even. He couldn't fathom it, he could only try harder to be deserving of it.

"Thank you, Jack," he muttered into the pillow, trying to keep the emotion out of his own voice. "Not just for saving me, like you always do, but for always being there. You're always there and I don't deserve it-"

"You stop right there," Jack interrupted. Angus stopped immediately, and made sure that he wasn't looking at Jack. "Now I know your old man messed up your sense of self worth, but he wasn't right. No matter what you think about yourself, you are worth more than every star in the whole damn sky to me, kid. You are worth more than all the gold in the kingdoms, and more than all the jewels. Look at me, Angus, I need to know you get this." Angus slowly turned his eyes towards Jack. He could feel how red his face was at the man's words. Once he made eye contact, Jack continued, saying, "you are worth more than anything I could ever receive, and you are worth more than the whole damn world, okay? You are my kid and you need to know what you are worth to me. You. Are. Everything. To me. Absolutely everything." Jack paused to swipe at a tear that had fallen down his face. Angus could feel that his own face was wet with tears. "It doesn't matter what your bastard father has told you, and it doesn't matter what that psychopath in the dungeon told you. There is nothing that could change that. You are my number one priority, always and forever, okay?"

Angus nodded, not trusting his voice. He swiped at his tears with one hand while the other sought out Jack's hand. Jack took it and nodded. Angus squeezed, and smiled. That was all Jack needed.

The moment was cut off by the entrance of the physician into Angus' quarters. He was an older man, but Angus had known him his whole life, and he trusted his medical expertise.

"That looks pretty nasty," the man said, coming up right next to Angus. "I can take it from here. I'll take good care of him, I promise," the doctor said to Jack.

"With all due respect, doc, I ain't goin' anywhere," he replied. Jack squeezed Angus' hand a little more to emphasize his point.

"Alright, well, I might need your help to hold him down anyway. I probably don't need to tell you, but this will hurt."

Angus could feel his breathing and heartrate speeding up in fear, but he tried to control it. Being scared wouldn't make it hurt any less. Jack hopped up onto the bed and got on the other side of Angus. He switched to holding his other hand, and gently ran his hands through his blond hair. Angus knew he was trying to get him to calm down. He wouldn't say it, but he appreciated it.

Suddenly, there was a tight grip on his shoulder, and Jack was whispering, "don't fight us, bud." Then, there was only pain. Angus let out a strangled scream and arched his back against the burning pain. It hurt almost as much as the flogging did. It burned again and again and again and he vaguely knew that the doctor was cleaning them out but it didn't matter. All he knew for sure was that it hurt so, damn, much. He just wanted it to end, and he may have said as much, may have begged them to stop, to please stop, because he could hear Jack saying that they had to, that they had no choice, and he could hear the tears in his bodyguard's voice. Part of him was scared that he was going to break Jack's hand with how tightly he was holding it, but he couldn't bring himself to let go. Jack was his lifeline, his reminder that he was home, that he wasn't back in that cellar with Murdoc flogging him. Jack was here and he was going to keep him safe. It may hurt but Jack was still there, and that made all the difference in the world.

...

Jack's heart was breaking as he watched Angus cry out and arch his back against the pain. He would've done anything he could to stop it, but he couldn't. They needed to clean it out before the infection got too bad. He was already weak from blood loss. He didn't need a terrible infection making things worse. So Jack just held his hand and tried to comfort him as he screamed in pain. He did his best to keep his emotions in check, but when his kid was in pain, all he could manage was not to strangle the doctor who was causing the pain.

"That should about do it," the doctor said. Angus had stopped screaming, and was now only quietly crying. It still broke Jack's heart.

"Ya hear that, bud?" he said to Angus, rubbing his arm in an attempt to comfort him. "It's over now, it's all over, I promise. We just have to wrap it, and that shouldn't hurt nearly as much, right, doc?" The doctor shook his head with a small smile, telling Jack that no, it wouldn't hurt quite as much as cleaning the wounds had. "Yeah, you're gonna be okay."

Angus nodded into the pillow, his eyes still screwed shut against the pain, while he squeezed Jack's hand again. Jack stayed right there, holding his boy's hand and rubbing his arm while the physician carefully bandaged the wounds. He held him just a little bit tighter every time that the kid flinched in pain, and sent glares like daggers at the doctor, who wouldn't look at him. Really, he knew the doctor was just doing his job, and was doing everything he could to help Angus in the long run, but in that moment, the man was hurting Jack's kid, and that was a hard fact to ignore.

But, soon enough, it was over, and the physician was packing up and leaving, wishing the prince a quick recovery on his way out.

"See, bud? I told you it was gonna be okay," he said, continuing to rub light circles on the kid's arm. It may have been more for his own comfort than Angus' at that point, but Jack didn't care.

"I know," Angus muttered. "You always make it okay."

Jack didn't know what to say. All he knew was that he didn't deserve such admiration - hero worship, really - from the boy that he had failed to protect from such brutal torture. He was the prince's bodyguard and he had been unable to stop a psychopath from taking him and giving him scars that would likely last the rest of his life. A small part of Jack knew that it wasn't truly his fault, that even if he hadn't been sent away, Murdoc likely would've found some way to get to Angus anyway, but that part was drowned out by the much larger part that screamed that his sole purpose in life was to protect the boy and he had failed to do so, circumstances be damned.

He was saved from having to further ponder the question by a small creak alerting him to the opening of the door. Jack immediately turned his attention towards the door, on the lookout for a threat or danger that might be there to harm his kid, and his hawk-like gaze was in fact met with a danger. It was James.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled at the king, who was slowly approaching the bed.

"I'm here to see my son, if that's alright with you," the king growled right back. At the sound of his father's voice, Angus' eyes shot open and he pulled himself closer to Jack.

"You've barely seen your son in the past decade. What makes now so different?" Jack moved around to be in between James and Angus, but made sure that he was still keeping physical contact with the prince.

"Because he's my son, and I'm allowed to see my son whenever the hell I want." James took another few steps towards the bed, causing Angus to push himself up from his position lying down, and turn to sit, hanging onto Jack for support - or he could have been hiding behind Jack in fear, or maybe a combination of the two.

"You never cared. Please just leave," Angus said, his voice breaking slightly. "You didn't care enough to save me, so I don't care enough to want you back in my life." Jack could hear the slight waver in the kid's voice, the sign that he was trying to believe his own words. Despite the abuse that his father put him through after his mother died, the kid still sought out the love of his father. Jack understood, he really did. The king was the boy's father, and Angus always had a strong desire to please others and earn their love, no matter what they had done to him, but that didn't make it hurt any less that the boy was damaged enough inside to still want the love of someone who had hurt him so much.

"I'm not just your father, Angus, I'm also the king, and I have to put the kingdom first," James practically scoffed. "Surely I taught you enough common sense to know that."

"Get out," Jack growled at him. "You may be the king, but I am his damn bodyguard, and it is my job to protect him from all dangers, and right now, that includes you. So get out." Jack took a menacing step towards James, the slight height disparity not dissuading him in the slightest. "Get out, and leave that boy alone. You've been doing such a great job of it for over a decade now, why change?"

"This isn't over, Angus," James called out, but turned around and left all the same. The moment he walked out the door, Jack relaxed, the threat now dealt with. He turned back towards Angus, who he could tell was struggling to keep his emotions in check.

"It's okay, kid," Jack said, stepping towards Angus and resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I promised I would protect you, and that's exactly what I plan on doing." He stepped even closer and wrapped his arms around the kid's thin shoulders, pulling him close. Angus reached around and clutched the back of Jack's tunic, burying his face in the man's chest. Jack could feel him taking shaky breath, so he began to calmly rub circles on his back. "It's alright, it's okay now," he repeated. And Jack would do everything in his power to keep it that way.

...

"So what do we do now?" Wilt asked. Now that they had gotten Angus back and knew that he was going to be okay, Wilt's attention was once again drawn to the beautiful woman he loved. But what were they to do? There were rules about royalty marrying commoners, and Wilt was most certainly a commoner.

"Well, as terrible as it sounds, we could just wait for them both to die, then change the rules," Riley said, a small smile on her face.

Wilt looked at her in incredulation. "Come on, I don't want to wait around for your parents to die before marrying you. I mean, if that's what it'll take, I'll do it, but there has to be another way." Wilt took a seat next to Riley and gently took a hold of her hand. "There has to be a way for us to marry soon. All I want is to be your husband." He looked into her eyes, and saw the most beautiful soul staring back at him.

"And I just want to be your wife," she replied, holding his hand a little tighter. "I don't know, maybe when we go back, they'll see how much I love you, and let us marry," she sighed. "I think that's the best chance we have."

Wilt didn't want to agree, but he knew she was right. There wasn't much she could do, even as princess, and there wasn't anything he could do as a valet for the prince of a different kingdom. If worst came to worst, Wilt would be willing to run away with her, but he really didn't want to leave Angus and Jack if he didn't absolutely have to.

"After Angus is healed, we'll go back to your palace, and try to explain things to your parents, I guess," Wilt replied with a shrug. Word had already been sent to the House of Davis that Riley was okay, and would be staying at the House of MacGyver while Prince Angus recovered, so there was no need to go back just yet, but they would have to in time. It wasn't the best plan in the world, but it was all they had. Still, he wasn't sure if he could do it. He was just a valet, and Riley was a princess. How was he supposed to help convince her parents that it was in the best interest of their kingdom to let their daughter marry the servant of another castle?

"I'll be right beside you the whole time," Riley said, immediately assuaging his fears. She was right. As long as they were together, they could do anything.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there will only be one more chapter after this, then the epilogue. For those of you who thought it was all too easy, here's the plot twist I told you was coming. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!!!

The rest of the day passed by smoothly, with Angus resting in bed and Jack, Wilt, and Riley keeping him company. Upon the close of the evening, Wilt retreated to his own quarters - which were next door, being the prince's valet - after showing Riley to hers. That left Jack alone with Angus. He would not be leaving, even though he technically could. They were home, and he had no official responsibility to stay with Angus at all times in their own palace, but there was no way that he was going to let Angus out of his sight for a good long while.

"Jack, you should really sleep too," Angus said in a quiet voice. The boy was lying in his grand bed, on his stomach with the blankets pulled all the way up to his bare shoulders. He clutched them in his hands, his head turned to look up at Jack with blond hair falling into his face. His bodyguard was immediately reminded of the young child he first met, many years before he would become the boy's friend. He was still a soldier at the time, and was temporarily stationed at the palace as a guard. He had just gotten back from the wars, and was taking the easy assignment with more joy than most would. But the queen had tragically died, her sickness having not been curable. Jack was to stand with the other guards and line the funeral procession. As fate would have it, it rained that day - of course it rained, that's just how these things worked. So Jack stood out there in the rain, and watched as the elaborate casket containing the late queen was brought out for the procession. Behind it walked King James, and little Prince Angus. Being only five years old, the little prince was rarely out of the palace at all. This was the first time that Jack was seeing him. He was quietly crying, of course, and seemed to be trying to take his father's hand in a search for comfort, but the king only swatted his hand away, and stared blankly forward. The little prince looked away, and briefly glanced at the guards lining the pathways, making brief eye contact with Jack. His eyes were big and blue, staring up at him, as if pleading for him to fix it, to bring his mother back and make his father love him. That moment had impacted Jack much at the time, being barely an adult himself, and he had vowed to always protect those who could not protect themselves. Fourteen years later, he was assigned to be the boy's bodyguard, and now, those big blue eyes were once again staring up at him.

"I can't, bud," he replied. "I have to stand guard and make sure you're safe. I'm not letting someone like Murdoc ever take you again." He hadn't been there to stop it from happening, and he was not going to ever make that same mistake of leaving his charge.

"But there's guards right outside the door, and there's no way anyone could get through the window unless they had some sort of flying carpet, which the physics just doesn't work for, so I'm not too concerned about it." Angus gave Jack a light smile before continuing. "Besides, I'm not asking you to leave-"

"Good, because I won't-"

"I'm just asking you to get some sleep. I know you haven't gotten any since before you left the House of Davis. This bed is massive, you can sleep on the other side of it and we'd both have plenty of room, and it wouldn't have to be weird or anything, but I just want you to get some sleep too and you really need it and besides, I'm the prince so I can tell you what to do-"

"Okay, alright," Jack said, cutting Angus' rambling off. He knew what the kid was doing. Angus wanted Jack to be there close by, to have that promise of physical contact if he found he needed it in the night. He would never directly say that was why he was asking, but Jack knew, and who was he to deny his prince anything? Besides, he loved the boy like his own son, and he would move mountains to make him feel safe. "That means you can't complain about me snoring, since you asked for it." Jack shook his head in exasperation to cover up the fact that he was actually more than happy to stay with the prince through the night.

Much to Jack's surprise, he was able to calm Angus down in his sleep whenever it appeared as though he was falling into a nightmare. Not at all to Jack's surprise, when he awoke in the morning, Angus' head was resting on his chest, his fist clenched around his tunic. Jack would never admit it if anyone asked, but his own arm was wrapped around the prince, and he didn't move it when he woke up. Angus didn't seem to be in any pain while he slept, his face an image of peace as his head slowly moved up and down with Jack's steady breaths. Who was he to break the prince's calm? With a smile, Jack pulled Angus ever so slightly closer, causing the boy to snuggle into him more, even in his sleep. Jack let out a light chuckle, not loud enough to wake the kid, and shook his head fondly. There's nothing he wouldn't do for that kid.

Sadly, the moment was interrupted by a fierce knocking at the door and a shout of "Prince Angus!"

Angus shot up as he awoke in surprise, quickly pushing himself off Jack - although Jack wasn't sure the boy had even noticed that he was snuggled into him in the first place - and sitting at the side of the bed. Jack himself quickly got out of the bed and walked swiftly over to the door, smoothing out his tunic along the way.

"Yes?" he said, opening the door. Three guards immediately pushed past him and started looking around the room. "What's going on?" Jack asked, moving back to Angus on the instinct to protect him from whatever harm the guards were certainly searching for.

"Murdoc is gone," one of the guards said, before opening his mouth again as if there was more he had to say, then closing it.

Angus' sharp intake of breath and widening eyes were the only signs Jack needed to know the terror that gripped him.

"We don't know how, but he's gone."

"And?" Jack asked, because clearly there was more that the guard was not saying.

The guard sighed, walking over to Jack and Angus, but looking at the floor. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" Angus said, his hand reaching up to grip Jack's sleeve. If he had checked the boy's pulse, Jack knew he would find it to be racing.

"It's your father. He's dead, stabbed. I'm so sorry. You'll soon be taken to the court to discuss what's next, the funeral arrangements, your coronation, public statements and the like. I'm so sorry." The guard sighed before continuing, "Murdoc left a note." He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Angus before giving a small bow and joining the other guards at the door, and leaving.

Angus held the note in his hands, which had begun to shake. "Do you want me to take it, bud?" Jack asked him. The prince nodded, wordlessly handing it over.

Angus just stared straight forward, his eyes unseeing. It didn't even look like he was breathing, and Jack could understand why. Terrible relationship or not, the boy had just lost his father. He was an orphan. Jack slowly sat down next to him on the bed and brought his arm around the kid's shoulders with a sigh.

"I'm so sorry, kid," he said. What else was he supposed to say? "I'm so, so sorry. I'm here and you know that. Whatever you need, I'm here." He pulled Angus closer to him, and the prince practically fell against him, clutching the front of his tunic, but he didn't cry. He seemed to still be in shock.

"He's dead," he whispered. "And the last thing I did was tell him that I didn't want him in my life."

"And you had every right to say that after what he did to you for years," Jack insisted. He would not have the boy feeling guilty for this.

"What does the note say?" Angus asked quietly, changing the subject as he pulled himself up straight again.

Jack sighed, but opened the note, which read:  
"You should be grateful, little prince. I took care of your problem for you. But I won't be gone forever. One day, I'll be expecting payment.  
Love, Murdoc"

Angus ran his fingers through his hair, and stood up, his legs shaking slightly. He let out a shuddering breath and began to pace.

"I am not letting him touch him you again," Jack growled. "Never is he getting anywhere near you. I'll slit his throat if he tries."

"I have to talk to the court, I have to plan the funeral, my own coronation, what we're gonna tell the kingdom, what are we gonna tell them? I'm gonna be king? I can't be king yet, Jack, I can't-" his voice broke as he collapsed back onto the bed.

"It's gonna be okay, bud," Jack said, rubbing his back in soothing circles. "We're gonna figure this out, and I will be right there with you every step of the way, alright? You will not be doing anything alone. You're never alone, Angus. Never."

Angus didn't reply, but he leaned back into Jack, letting his head fall against the man's shoulder. Jack just held him close, and when the shock wore off, and he did begin to cry, Jack was right there to hold him even closer.

...

Less than an hour later, Angus found himself sitting down at the head of the longest table in the palace, surrounded by all the members of the court. He couldn't do this. He couldn't plan his father's funeral, he couldn't work with a court who thought he was completely incompetent - the reason his father gave them for ignoring him - and he certainly couldn't become king. But he didn't have a choice. As he sat at the head of the table, trying to control his breathing and nerves, the court members were all arguing amongst themselves about what should be done. Angus glanced up at Jack, who was standing just behind his chair and to the side.

"What do I do?" he asked, just loud enough for Jack to be able to hear.

"You're the king now, kid. Show them," Jack replied with a nod. He looked at Angus with complete trust in his eyes. Angus wasn't sure he deserved that, but he would try to. Taking a deep breath and rolling his shoulders to try to get some of the tension out, the prince prepared himself. He could do this. Jack believed in him.

"Listen!" he shouted, standing up and slamming his palms on the table. "Stop bickering amongst each other, and listen to me. Like it or not, I will be king come tomorrow night, and I am in charge now." He paused for a moment to look around at the court. They had all quieted down, and were now all staring at him. "My father's funeral will be the same as my mother's, with the palace guards lining the procession. I will follow right behind the casket, and you all will follow me. The procession will follow the same path through the city, and he will be entombed right next to my mother. Is that clear enough?" he asked. The court all looked around at each other, and nodded. "Good. My coronation will be held after the funeral." Angus sat back down with a thud. It took everything he had to resist the urge to look at Jack for wisdom and comfort. He couldn't do that right now. He needed to appear competent in the eyes of his court, and his kingdom. Looking to Jack would not show them that. "The kingdom must be notified, and although it's probably too late, soldiers should be mobilized to search for Murdoc. He cannot be allowed to hurt anyone else." He drummed his fingers against his leg, anxious to have something real to do other than dealing with the bureaucracy. "Make this happen, you're all dismissed," he said with a wave of his hand. After looking around at each other in hesitation, the men got up and left. Once they were gone, Angus sighed, leaning forward and putting his head in his hands.

"You did good, kiddo. I'm proud of you," Jack said, resting his hand on Angus' shoulder. "I knew you could do this."

Angus sighed again, leaning back against the chair. "But I'm not a figure of authority. My father ruled with an iron fist and everyone knew his rule was to be respected. I can't do that, that's just not me," he said with a shrug.

"You don't have to." Jack moved to occupy the closest empty seat, but it was too far away for him, so he moved it even closer - close enough that he could reach out and rest his hand on Angus' knee without extending his arm, which he did. "You can rule your way. You may be different than James, but I'd bet my life that the kingdom will grow to love you more. They'd be stupid not to love you," Jack said with a small laugh, which Angus returned with a fond shake of his head. "But come on, kid. I know you, and I know that you will make a great king. And if you don't see any other bright sides right now, at least think of this: you officially don't have to marry Riley!" Jack was smiling from ear to ear, and Angus couldn't help but return the smile with one of his own. Jack just always knew exactly what to say to get him to smile, without fail.

"Yeah," he said, the smile still on his face. "Yeah, you're right about that. I hope she and Wilt can make it work." His smile started to fall, thinking about the difficulties the two would face if they really were going to try to marry.

"He really loves her, and she seems to really love him too. Hopefully, that will be enough," Jack said, his own smile turning sad.

Their conversation was quickly ended by the entrance of the archbishop into the room. Angus quickly stood to bow out of habit.

"There is no need now, Your Highness," the old man said. "But I must request your presence. We must discuss the details of your coronation, and you must be familiar with the rules and rituals of the process."

"Yes, of course," Angus replied, taking a step forward to follow the archbishop. Jack, of course, followed right behind him. Angus made sure to stay behind the archbishop and whisper when he said, "thank you, Jack."

"What for?"

"Everything." Angus could never articulate how much Jack meant to him, how much his very presence calmed his nerves and made him believe that he really could do this.

"Always, kid. Always."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is. The final chapter. Wow. I have absolutely loved writing this, and I really hope that you guys have loved reading it too. I know I said I was going to have one more chapter and an epilogue, but while I was writing this, I realized that by the end of it, I had said everything that I wanted to say. This chapter is by far the cheesiest thing I have ever written in my life. So if you think it's super cheesy, trust me, I know it is lol. But that's just how I wanted it!
> 
> My next project will be a lengthy one shot in which Murdoc kidnaps both Jack and Mac. It was heavily requested, and I am nothing if not a people pleaser. It will be the darkest thing I've ever written, but there will be a lot of warnings before the story itself, so please make sure you read those before you read it. My tag to Murdoc + Handcuffs, "Never Again", is what inspired this next fic. If you read it, you will be able to tell exactly what is going to happen in the one shot. I hope to have that up some time late this week, but no guarantees. I also have another multichapter fic in the works for when that is finished. Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and please leave review!!!

It was the next morning. The morning of his father's funeral. The morning of his coronation. The morning of the day he would replace his father as king. Angus wasn't sure if he had ever been as nervous in his entire life. He took a few deep breaths as he stared in the mirror, looking at his black royal robes. They were almost exactly the same - albeit much larger - as the ones he wore to his mother's funeral so many years earlier. But this time, he would be the one leading the procession.

"You ready for this?" Jack asked him a small voice. He was standing to the side, several feet away. He was was dressed much the same, with the addition of his freshly polished rapier.

"For what? My father's funeral? My coronation? Being king?" Angus sighed. "No, not at all, but I don't exactly have a choice." He straightened his robes out and turned to Jack, who was holding his crown. He would be expected to wear it for the funeral, then it would be switched out for the crown he would wear as king at his coronation.

"I'm right beside you through it all, you know that," Jack said. He reached up and gently placed the crown upon Angus' head with a smile. "Come on, Your Highness. Let's get going."

With another deep breath, Angus followed Jack out the door and down the hall, past all the guards wearing black, all the way to where the procession was to begin. Riley and Wilt were there waiting for them. Being a princess, Riley had been given a beautiful black dress, and she had insisted that Wilt be the one to walk with her. No one had the authority to tell the princess she couldn't choose Wilt, so they let her, despite the unorthodoxy of choosing the prince's valet instead of an eligible gentleman that she'd never met before, or Angus himself. Even if they had tried to tell her she couldn't, Angus would have fought them on it. Both Riley and Wilt offered him a kind, gentle smile, which he returned.

The procession began shortly after. Angus followed right behind the carriage carrying the ornate stone coffin that held his father, and Jack close behind him. It didn't matter that they were surrounded by guards the whole time, Jack had insisted that he stay right by Angus, especially with Murdoc still at large. Angus didn't fight him on it. Riley, being the guest from the House of Davis, followed, escorted by Wilt. Then came the members of the court and their wives. The funeral procession walked through the courtyard and out into town, ending at the tomb that had housed the House of MacGyver's departed for the last two centuries. The tomb was located in the basement of the cathedral, and it was beautiful. The arched ceilings were delicately carved, and murals depicting the various kings and queens of the family were painted all over the walls. Angus thought it was completely impractical to make a tomb - a tomb in a basement of a cathedral no less - so exquisite, since the ones living there would never see it, and mourners cared about the dead, not the architecture, but that was just his opinion.

The rest of the funeral party left after the coffin was placed right beside the coffin of the late queen, but Angus wasn't ready to leave. He rested his hand on the dusty lid of his mother's coffin, stroking it a way that he could never stroke her hair again like when he was a little boy.

"I miss you, mom," he whispered, closing his eyes in an effort to stave off his emotions. "If you see dad, tell him I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make our last conversation an argument, and I promise that I'll try to make him proud of me." He stopped a moment to wipe away a stubborn tear. He wasn't so sure that his mother could hear him, and as much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't sure that his mother and father had ended up in the same place in the afterlife, but he figured he should ask his mother anyway, even if it wasn't logical. Sometimes, not often, but every now and then, logic didn't matter. "And I hope you're proud of me too." Angus kissed his fist, then laid his fist on the coffin with a sigh and a shake of his head. He turned over to his grandfather's coffin and walked over to it. "I'm sorry I wasn't here," he said, reaching up to wipe another tear. Angus knew that Jack and the others were watching, and he didn't want them to see him like this. He was going to be king, and they couldn't see this, this weakness. "I'll live to make you proud of me. That's all I want. I just want you all to be proud of me." He glanced over at the coffins of his parents. "I promise I'll try to be a good king." Angus patted his grandfather's coffin and wiped his eyes one more time, just to be safe, before he turned around. They were all looking at him with sympathy in their eyes. He looked at the ground, hoping that they wouldn't say anything, and they could just move on with the stressful day.

Wilt and Riley did leave, but Jack didn't. He stopped Angus with a hand on his shoulder. "For what it's worth," he said, sincerity and love in his eyes so apparent and Angus knew he didn't deserve it. "I, am so, so proud of you. I've never been more proud of anyone in my life, Angus. And you will be a great king."

Angus cleared his throat in an effort to hide his emotions at Jack's words. "Thank you," he said, not able to stop the emotion from flooding his eyes. He knew Jack saw it, because the man reached around his shoulders.

"Let's go, kid," he said, walking forward, his arm still around Angus' shoulders.

Angus would never admit it, but that really did mean the world to him. As much as he wanted the approval of his parents and grandfather, they were gone, and he could never really know if he had it. But he had Jack's, and maybe that was all that really mattered.

Later that day, when Angus had donned the most royal robes he owned and was walking down the center aisle of the throne room with seemingly half the kingdom watching him, that's what he thought of. Jack was proud of him. Jack believed in him. If Jack was by his side, maybe he really could be a great king. The archbishop instructed him on what to do and what to say, and all too quickly, Angus was kneeling in front of the man, the crown he'd always worn as a prince being removed. He could feel his heartbeat racing as the archbishop placed the larger, much more ornate crown of the king on his head.

"Rise," the man said. Angus did so, and turned around with a flourish of his robes like he knew he was supposed to do. The archbishop addressed the people, saying, "I give you, His Royal Majesty, Angus the Brilliant, King of the House of MacGyver."

"The king is dead!" Jack shouted from the side of the throne. "Long live the king!" he shouted, holding up his sword.

"Long live the king!" the room chanted, again, and again, and again, and again.

Angus turned and looked at Jack, who was already staring at him, smiling ear to ear. Angus couldn't help but smile in return. As long as he had Jack, everything really would be okay.

...

Riley was squirming in anticipation. She wasn't sure if she had ever been so nervous in her life, not even when she met Angus for the first time. She knew everything would be fine at first. Her parents and Matilda would be delighted to see her home safe - they hadn't seen her since before she was kidnapped - and she would need to see Samantha as soon as she could. But they would all notice that Wilt was still with her. That was impossible to avoid. And pretty quickly, they would ask why he was there, and she had to face the music and tell them that she was going to marry him, even if that meant she had to abdicate the throne or be disowned. She didn't care what she had to do, as long as she got to be with him.

"Hey," Wilt said, catching her attention from across the royal carriage. "Like you said, it's gonna be okay. We'll figure it out. As long as we're together, we can do anything," he said, taking her hand and gently rubbing it. "Even if they disown you for it, Angus said that we always have a place in his palace. Besides, we'll be there all the time anyway. I may not be his valet anymore, but he's still my best friend, and I can't leave him forever."

"You're right, you're right," Riley replied with a sigh. "We'll be fine, no matter what. And I'll be fine, as long as I have you." She couldn't help but smile at the amazing man she loved. They had left the day after Angus was coronated. They would have loved to stay longer, but her parents really did need to know that she really was okay after having been kidnapped. But it had been an emotional goodbye for both her and Wilt. He had given both Jack and Angus the fiercest of hugs when they left, as did she. She had never imagined she could grow to love them so much, yet she did. Life was full of surprises.

The moment the carriage stopped, Wilt's smile fell, and a panicked look replaced it. "We're here, it's time," he said, his eyes wide.

It was Riley's turn to laugh at him. "What happened to 'it's gonna be okay'?" she asked with a small laugh. "It'll be fine."

Wilt took a deep breath and nodded, then hopped out of the carriage, quickly turning and reaching up to help Riley down, ever the gentleman. That was just one of the many things that Riley loved about him.

"Are you ready, Your Highness?" he asked with a smile, holding his arm out for her to hold on to, like any good gentleman would.

"With you, Master Bozer, I'm ready for anything."

THE END

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Knight + Prince](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17945258) by [violetvaria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetvaria/pseuds/violetvaria)
  * [Knight + Prince + Loyalty](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19260307) by [violetvaria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetvaria/pseuds/violetvaria)




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